


Anomaly

by ValkyrieGail



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alpha Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Scenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 05:09:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 81,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9803951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieGail/pseuds/ValkyrieGail
Summary: Overwatch is under investigation while rumors of the Petras Act arises, agents are fleeing, the media has painted the Strike Commander as a villain, and Jack Morrison finds himself pregnant with his estranged mate’s child.





	1. Aberration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meddled around with the timelines a bit, as well as Blizzard's lore solely to fit with the story. Some things may not seem to fit into 'canon', ie the AU tag. Hope you enjoy!

It was never supposed to happen like this.

For one, the military grade implant secured snugly inside of him should’ve been the first line of defense.

Secondly, his last heat had been such a fast fluke in his monthly calendar that he could’ve blinked and not realized it happened.

But it _was_ happening.

At first he thought it might be that whatever enhancements the SEP had pumped into him were failing or somehow going haywire due to all of the stress and lack of sleep. His muscles were sore, his need for sleep more pressing, and the overwhelming morning and afternoon nausea sometimes crippling.

However, when his poor nipples began to ache, it dawned on him what the culprit could be.

Staring at the three positive (and 1 negative) pregnancy tests laid out on the counter, he tried to come up with a strategy to reconcile the facts and truth that this was really, truly happening _now_ of all damn times. Pregnancy was the farthest, most astronomically distant thought from his mind that he couldn’t do anything other than sit on the close lid-toilet and lay his head in his hands.

_It wasn’t supposed to happen like this._

He wondered if this was how Ana felt when she first found out about her pregnancy with Fareeha.

Things had been different for her, though. She had been with a mate of sorts, had a mutual understanding between them as she dedicated herself to raising Fareeha as a single mother.

Jack never wanted to be a single parent.

Doesn’t want to be a single father.

His eyes tighten shut as he thinks of the _last time_ , and it stings.

He knew it had to have been from then, as he hasn’t slept with Gabriel in almost 8 weeks due to missions and opposite schedules pulling them apart. The older alpha had helped him through his odd one day heat, fucking Jack in his office and knotting him on the carpet floor as if Jack were a desperate bitch and not his cherished mate.

(Not that Jack had been complaining at the time; he had wanted it fast and dirty. Too much stress from the debacle in the Ukraine leaving him desperate for a sharp release.)

He feels sick just thinking of his estranged mate and him conceiving a _child_ through the filthiness and hurriedness of their last conjugal tryst.

It was what Gabriel had called it, jokingly, after the fact when they were both sweating and coming down from their sexual high on the carpeted floor.

Their ‘conjugal visits’ when time aligned right and they were both on the same side of the world for one another’s rut or heat. Jack hated the word, scowled deep when his mate would sneer at him and grin widely because he knew Jack needed his thick knot to think straight again. It wasn't a false statement and Jack reprimanded himself for feeding in to the negative cycle with his own namecalling and jabs. Neither of them deserved this unhealthy relationship, but it was hard to work on things when they were constantly pulled from mission to mission. Where and how there could be time to 'fix' their bond was a mystery.

There was a time when Jack called it making love, but that time has long since passed and what has taken its stead is an ugly malformation of affection and a struggle of wills between them. He is never proud of what they do, but the gods help him, his body and soul still longs for and loves Gabriel. Even though they have both changed, and even though they both know their relationship is at wit's end, they still focus on their work. Gabriel, taking off for his Blackwatch missions, while Jack seems to have strings attached to his body like a puppet for the UN.

Jack is just as guilty.

They use each other in ways proper mates shouldn’t cross and that acknowledgement is enough pain for Jack that he tries to spin his head on right to tackle the bigger issue.

_I’m pregnant._

The blonde knows he needs to go to Angela to confirm, but he fears the repercussions if anyone besides her finds out. It’s a ridiculous thought, but Overwatch and Blackwatch have been under enough scrutiny, investigation, and bad press that he isn’t sure who to trust and where the whispers originate.

_(It grew worse after the London Uprising, and Jack has barely slept...)_

He doesn’t know who to have faith in anymore, and with that thought in mind, he decides to keep his condition to himself.

He will only tell Angela when he is ready to figure out what to do.

_Consider all of his options._

*

Jack had always imagined that when he started a family, he would feel prepared and thrilled over the news.

He imagined Gabriel, his resilient and dedicated mate, to be just as joyful over their pup while they eagerly began planning everything from the baby’s room to clothing to possible names.

He imagined a more secure location to raise his family; a suite resembling a home on the warm base in Gibralter near the beach where Jack could sing his infant to sleep with the sound of lulling ocean waves in the background.

He daydreamed, even throughout the Omnic Crisis, that he would have some semblance of normalcy with his mate while they raised the family he always wanted and cherish the love and experiences that would grow and blossom with parenthood.

Going over all of the hopes and daydreams, they were nothing like the nightmare he was living in now.

The two of them hadn’t been on the best of terms for a while.

It had started shortly after the crisis in South America. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when he lost his mate’s commitment, but Gabriel had changed when he came home from his long mission in Brazil and his tolerance for Jack’s work schedule and apologies had taken a nosedive.

The change resulted into a slow and painful dissent of their relationship.

Unanswered questions, painful truths, arms held at a distance.

Jack wasn’t innocent in all of this. His position as Strike Commander demanded most of his time and energy, draining whatever left he could attempt with his mate. They had both tried to make things work at first with long distance video calls, late night texts, and risqué pictures to keep the fire going.

But as the demands for both of their positions heightened with a never-settled world, their cracked relationship began to widen and fester like an unattended wound.

They weren’t nothing, but only _something_ to each other.

When once they had been everything...it hurt to see that crumble and fade.

The blonde never imagined he would find himself in his early 40s, expecting his first child in the midst of handling a media disaster while his alienated alpha mate kept vigil on the other side of the base, in his own separate room doing god knows what.

 _Or who_. Jack’s possessive side thought bitterly.

Jack has a hard time focusing on the report in front of him, written so neatly in his mate’s familiar script. It was another Blackwatch report from a mission past that is marked classified. It was supposed to return back to the depths of archives to stay locked and collect dust. However, it was one of many files that had been exposed to the press. He feels sick while he reads the report of the torture of a possible Talon informant, especially knowing that he had approved of the mission none the wiser to what was actually happening. The Talon informant had been extensively coerced until the injuries caused him to bleed out to a grisly mess.

Somehow, with this information and dozens like it leaked out to the media, he has to clean all of the mess while the broadcasters fillet his hard earned image alive.

He stopped turning on the TV, avoids the newspapers as the pressure of the outside world makes all of his ‘heroic’ accolades seem like a distant past. People didn’t care about his service in the Omnic War when they could instead see the present allegations against the institution and their presence in the seedy underbelly of society.

_How can I bring a child into this mess?_

“Commander?”

He looks up, his hands leaving his hair and straightening his pose into a more dignified stance. Despite everything going on, he still attempts to look his best when he gets ready in the morning.

Pressed pants and jacket, polished armor and medals.

He longs for the simplicity of his old SEP uniform.

He never wanted to be a face for an organization; he only wanted to be a good soldier.

“Sorry, come in Sam.” He clears his voice.

His secretary tries to offer a smile, but he can see the lines in Jack’s brow and knows the commander is stressed. He feels almost ashamed to bring him the new stack of files.

“These came in this morning from Agent Amari. She suggested you look through them when you get a chance.” Sam feels guilty placing another stack of papers on Jack’s desk, but it’s an unfortunate detail of his job.

The blonde gestures to a small corner unoccupied by papers, books, or a tablet. Sam deposits the stack and tries to offer a comforting smile, “Do you need anything, sir?”

“Some tea?” Jack asks, brows still furrowed. “Ginger would be good.”

His assistant blessedly makes haste on his task. The commander sighs and gets back to work, mulling over his scattered thoughts with difficulty.

He presses his hand to his lower abdomen and wonders what the hell he is going to do. It was enough of an uphill battle when his superiors found out he was an omega back in SEP.

A pregnant omega would surely cause an uproar amid all the outrage going on. Jack knows the media will twist his pregnancy into some sort of 'out' from his duties or an attempt to gain public sympathy. 

He wonders if being demoted instead would be a blessing or a curse.

*

“We should’ve done this weeks ago.” Angela’s pointed look could stop any person mid-step. Jack likes to think she would’ve been an excellent school teacher or drill sergeant.

Jack invited her over under the pretense of dinner and a more informal ‘check up’. He knows she’ll be upset when she finds out the actual cause for their get together, but he’s too worried about anyone else finding out to care. Before she arrived, he had already swept his room for any bugs or signs of surveillance. He wouldn’t put it past the officials or even Gabe to do so. Privacy was a rare thing fro the Strike Commander. 

“I know, it’s been a while.” He steps aside and invites her in.

They both make pleasantries while they settle into Jack’s humble abode. It smells overwhelmingly of him, with only hints of Gabriel. Angela doesn’t comment, even though she feels sad to see the couple separated and currently not on the best speaking terms. It doesn’t miss her notice that the pictures Jack used to have up have been taken down, leaving barren whispers of what was once there. She understood that sometimes the pair needed space, but this schism had grown much larger than ever before. She worried about Jack and Gabe, and whether or not they could patch their differences. 

 “You know the drill, Jack. Go ahead and take off your shirt and sit on the couch.”

He follows the doctor’s orders and moves to sit down on the furniture. He is particularly exhausted this evening, a symptom he can now blame for the growing life inside him who blissfully sucks up his energy.

Angela runs her hands along his back, her touch soothing.

“Your muscles are very tense. I don’t need to ask if you’re stressed, but you should consider a massage with one of our physical therapists. I can write you a referral..” Angela teases light heartedly. She takes his blood pressure before listening to his heartbeat.

Everything checks out.

“How have you been feeling?” Angela steadies the soldier to sit up and prop up his arm while she prepares him for a blood sample. Jack is quiet, immune to the effect of the cold needle piercing his arm. Too many days of his life were spent getting injections and providing blood samples for him to cower in the face of medical devices.

_It was always Gabriel who hated the needles._

His toes still curl a little, however, when she slides the needle out and places the cotton swab on to stop the blood.

“I think I’m pregnant.” He whispers within their close proximity.

Angela stiffens and scoots back to look at him clearly in the eyes.

Jack elaborates, “I took four pregnancy tests. Three positive, one negative. I was hoping you could run a test for me to confirm; to keep it classified.”

“Jack-“

“I need a definite answer before I can move any further and figure out what I’m going to do.” His voice was soft, defeated in a way that tugged at her heartstrings.

She laid her hand gently over his and squeezed it. “Does Gabriel know?”

He shook his head. “Just you. _Only_ you.”

Angela leaned forward and kissed the top of Jack’s forehead in a show of affectionate support. The beta had always been close to Jack and their friendship had been a grounding counter balance to all of the turmoil wreaking havoc across their agency.

“What are you going to do if it _is_ positive?” she questioned worriedly.  

Jack ran his hand through his blonde hair, sighing. He had been wondering that same question for the past two days. “These times aren’t ideal and I can’t step down. If I am, the media will have a feast exploiting my designation with this pregnancy.” He paused, frown deepening, “My mate is a bust and I can’t retire.”

“Have you considered talking to him? This might…change things.” Angela knew very well the relationship Jack and Gabe were skirting around. It was not an idyllic situation to bring a child into, especially when both parents were fighting more regularly than they were making peace, but they still needed each other.

They always had, always will.

The blonde omega shrugged, “Or I could terminate the pregnancy and pretend none of this ever happened. It would be better not to bring a child into the mix of everything. What if I get court martialed, Ang? You know that could be in the cards and I refuse to-“

The beta didn’t let him finish his thoughts. “ _Nothing_ will happen to you. And if it did, you _know_ I would take care of you and your child no matter what. We all would. We’re _family_ , Jack.”

He was silent for a moment, lost again to all of the what-ifs and worries that had his blonde hair littered with more silvery-whites than Angela had ever seen. She had watched her once bright eyed, wide smiled close friend disintegrate to the bone-weary soldier before her.

Jack huffed a laugh, “Imagine me with baby blankets, onesies, and diapers…I have no right to be a parent after all of the things I’ve done…I’ve _allowed_ to be done.”

Angela moved away now to ensure the blood samples were capped and stored properly for her to examine that evening. “None of us are innocent, Jack. You know that. We all have our crosses to bear, but you have as much a right as anyone to be a parent. You deserve happiness.”

Jack bit his lip and stared resolutely to the ground, “This is a fucking disaster.”

Angela tried to detour his thoughts. “If you _are_ pregnant, I’ll need to do an exam to see if your implant has been dislodged or if it has failed all together. It’s good for eight years on a typical male omega. We’ll need to remove it ASAP.”

"Tomorrow morning okay?”

“That will work.” She glanced up at him with a softened expression, “I brought wine, but I suppose we can settle for sparkling water with our dinner.”

Jack nearly forgot about the grilled pastrami sandwiches he had made for the two of them. He snorted and pulled back on his t-shirt just as his friend finished packing her doctor kit.

“I suppose we could…”

*

The blood tests came back positive.

Angela looked over the birth control implant she had removed from the strike commander and frowned with concern. The device registered a significant lack of the proper hormones it should’ve still retained. Whatever it did uphold at one point, Angela theorized Jack’s body might have burned through it quicker than anticipated. She cursed to herself, rubbing her chin and feeling, in a way, that she had failed the omega.

Though, it didn’t make sense to her the further she studied the readings. The implant was engineered specifically for Jack in mind. She may not have overlooked the development and initial insertion of it herself, but the implant was supposed to be 100% effective.

Or at the very least, 99.98%...

She then began to worry that whoever had been there before her, whoever it was that had given Jack the implant, could have tampered with it or given false information.

_Someone could’ve done this on purpose._

It worried her more and more when she delved deeper into her study.

Jack had already been given the information, a simple text that said ‘all green’ when the results were confirmed.

He was in a meeting when he looked down to his holopad, his stomach clenching in nauseous recognition that what was happening, was _indeed_ happening.

 **Mercy:** Would like to initiate further testing. Lab at 22:00?

 **Jack:** Affirmative.

Jack always imagined he would be filled with joy over the news. Instead, he sits in a meeting and swallows back the cold dread that stings raw and unbidden. 

*

The ultrasound was the final nail in the coffin. Angela registered the small fetus growing comfortably in Jack’s womb while she pointed to the screen. The soldier watched the screen where the barest of movements could be seen. The heartbeat over the monitor was fast and rhythmic. He watched the little bundle of cells, which had grown so rapidly and now had the barest hints of arms, legs, a torso, and a head, wiggle around completely unaware of all of the stress and troubles going on in the outside world.

Jack felt silly for wondering if their child would take after Gabriel or himself more.

“You have options, Jack.” Angela froze the screen and began cleaning off the wand to set it to the side. “You can terminate the pregnancy, but I would need some time to figure out how to do so effectively and safely given your biology. Or, if you keep the pregnancy, I can help you put together a plan to keep your condition sealed for as long as we’re able until you start showing.”

Jack was hesitant, “I don’t want you lying for me. You could get in serious trouble for this.”

She shook her head stubbornly, “I’m speaking to you as a friend. I don’t care about repercussions when your health is more important.”

Jack cleaned off the cold lubricant from his abdomen and sighed, “I need some more time to decide.”

“I’ll need an answer within the week.” Angela supplied, “If we are indeed going to terminate, I’ll need to get together the supplies discreetly. I’m sorry I can’t give you more time, but you're already pretty far into your first trimester.”

He redressed carefully and stood, a few bones popping when he stretched. Angela watched him carefully, noting the paleness of his skin and tired shadows under his eyes.

“There’s one more thing…” She didn’t want to tell him, but she couldn’t leave him in the dark. “Your implant…it looks like it had been tampered with before it was inserted. The dosage was incorrect for what your body needed. I’m sorry to lay this on you, but I fear it was done purposely.”

There was a noticeable tightness in Jack’s jaw as he clenched his teeth and swallowed. “What could anyone possibly gain from meddling with my birth control implant?”

“Possibly a new generation of enhanced soldiers? You and Gabe have been registered mates for years now and those with high enough clearance know both of your designations.” The blonde beta looked even more concerned as she spoke, “I’m looking into it cautiously in case there are eyes watching. I haven’t marked your records that your implant has been removed. Our last few visits have all been off record.”

“Keep it that way.” The omega replied. “You’re among a small group of people I can trust. If there really is someone going so far as to mess with my _biology_ , we need to tread-”

Jack’s voice became hoarse with emotion. It was enough to come to terms with his pregnancy, but knowing that this whole situation might have been planned or desired by an outside source stung deeper than any bullet wound. He rubbed his hand against his eyes, wiping them before any moisture could escape.

_Things are so fucked._

Could someone really have schemed for Jack to get pregnant in order to test out his _enhancements_ for the next generation?

Was he nothing but a _broodmare_?

Were his future children meant to be test subjects?

It hurt to think that someone could’ve been watching him and Gabriel so closely while hoping their mating would produce offspring to examine and make studies of.

The beta’s gentle touch brought him back to reality.

“Don’t let your mind wander far. Nothing has been documented on this pregnancy and I promise to keep full confidentiality.”

The omega breathed deeply and nodded, willing his muscles to relax away from the stress.

Angela smiled and retrieved a book on omega pregnancy that had been covered with a black sleeve. She handed it to him. “Know that whatever you choose to do, I am here for you. I’ll be watching over you.”

Jack accepted the book with the barest hint of a smile.

*

He was reading said book in the safety of his quarters when Gabe decided to thunder in with an obvious complaint.

Jack knew it probably wasn’t right that Gabriel still had clearance to enter into their old shared suite (given their recent arguments), but a part of him would always be sentimental and hopeful that they could patch up their relationship and go back to the way things had been.

The omega knew that the fissure between them might possibly never be repaired, that he was being foolish for hoping, but it didn’t stop him from yearning. Even though Jack was too stubborn to start making amends, and Gabriel was too proud.

They were in a rough bout, but there was still something there. 

Gabriel had always been it for him.

“Mind telling me _why_ you denied my order requests?” Gabriel demanded gruffly, arms crossing as soon as the door closed behind him. He wasn’t viciously angry, but he was annoyed enough to seek his mate out after hours.

It had been so long since Gabriel visited him here, it was mildly disorienting.

Jack’s stomach twisted.

“Hello to you too, Gabriel.”

“Don’t be cute, Jackie. What’s the deal?” Gabriel wasn’t having the sarcasm while he scowled at his mate's nonchalance. He moved across the room with his hands now placed against his hips. He was still wearing his Blackwatch uniform.

The blonde closed the book and set it to his side. “Need I remind you we’re under investigation and our funds have been slashed by backers? I can’t provide the steady stream of supplies I once did before, especially when you can delve deeper into your stock. We can't waste anything. We’re all hurting now that investors are pulling out.”

Gabriel wasn’t pleased with the answer. “So you’re going to pull funds from our first line of defense? I need my people trained properly and without the surplus of supplies, they’ll be at a disadvantage. I _need_ those supplies. I'm not going to go back into the stock warehouse and pull out low-end shit.”

“It’s across the board.” Jack reiterated, pinching his brow, “When your next mission is approved, the panel will review your supplies request and provide authorization for what you and your team can take. We can’t just order items anymore without due process, and I can’t approve of any and all reports anymore without the council’s approval.”

“Since when did this ‘panel’ get assembled to _babysit_ us?”

Jack was tired and growing more agitated by Gabriel’s presence. He wanted to have a quiet night to read up on the book Angela had given him, but it seemed his mate’s insistence would demand his attention elsewhere. “It’s nearly one in the morning. Why are you _actually_ here?”

Gabriel glanced at the clock and seemed surprised to find that it was indeed nearing 1:00am. His glower deepened. “I thought you were always open for business to _chat_.”

The blonde grabbed his book and stood up from the couch indignantly, turning away from his estranged lover to saunter into the kitchen for some hot tea. It wasn’t completely out of the blue for Gabriel to come over, as they did sometimes meet to fuck or talk over plans and mission reports.

It had just been a long while since the alpha had visited, and with Jack in his current predicament, seeing the father of his child left his heart a little raw.

So much was going through his mind between their last mating, the news of the baby, the likelihood of someone purposely tampering with his implant, and now…

They had talked about it, a long time ago.

Jack could remember laying sprawled across Gabriel’s chest, the two of them whispering in tired, hopeful voices what it would be like to retire and start a family somewhere warm and beautiful someday.

Jack could still remember Gabriel telling him that he would love to have as many children as Jack wanted, and sew them Halloween costumes, teach them his favorite songs, and impart on  them the family skill to cook amazing dishes the way his _abuela_ had. 

_So many years have passed…_

Jack poured more hot water into his ginger tea. Gabriel eyed him from the entrance to the small utility kitchen, mouth slightly open while he tried scenting the omega across the small distance.

“You smell different. You also look _terrible_.”

Jack didn’t reply, merely shrugged as he put the teabag into the hot water and braced both hands against the counter, waiting. He was slightly on edge with Gabriel’s own scent filling his nostrils and making him dizzy.

He knew he didn’t look well. The nausea and exhaustion had been a difficult combination to handle,

The omega wasn’t surprised when Gabriel came up behind him, hands seeking purchase to the skin underneath his shirt, at his sides. The alpha leaned in and scented the blonde where Jack’s scarred mating mark was visible at the collar.

“What aren’t you telling me, Jackie?”

Jack closed his eyes, hating the fact that he loved and craved this closeness despite everything going on between them.

The nickname Gabriel always used for him sent small shivers of pleasure down his spine. 

At the very least, they still had their moments of calm before the next storm.

“Give it up, Jack. You smell so _sweet_ , so similar to your heat.” Gabe pressed his body closer, teasing in a way that was almost cruel. “I can forgive your indolence in approving my order request if it has something to do with _this_ …Do you need your fix, _carino_?”

One of Gabriel’s hands snaked down to rest over Jack’s dick. The omega wasn’t completely hard, but he could feel a surprising amount of desire pool in his groin, given his stomach was still in knots.

“You’re filthy.” The omega stated, hating himself for wanting more. Wanting whatever he could have, whatever Gabe would give him.

“It’s been a while, Jackie. We’re overdue.” Gabriel ran his tongue along the outer rim of Jack’s earlobe, causing the blonde to shudder in delight. As per usual, he was melting in the alpha’s hands as the older man skillfully lulled him into their shared lust.

“Gabe…”

“Shh, you’re so stressed out, _mi sol_. Let me give you what you need. I know you’re aching for it, aren’t you? Some loving will bring some color to these cheeks.” He ran the back of his fingers across Jack’s cheeks, causing his omega to redden in slight embarrassment and arousal.

Despite all of the arguments and disagreements from the past few weeks, they were still drawn to each other like moths to a flame. It wasn’t healthy or seemingly logical, but they were still mates. Even when they disliked each other and said such awful things, they still had _this_.

Gods help him, Jack gave in.

*

It just wasn’t the same.

It never was anymore, even when they were seemingly on the rarest of good terms.

Jack just wished those good terms weren’t always just because of good sex.

Even when the sex had been some of the best Jack had experienced in a long while.

The intent behind the caresses, the words in-between breathy moans.

The omega wasn’t proud of himself for submitting once again to the sweet downfall of ecstasy, but he was and always would be putty in Gabriel’s able hands.

It felt good to let go of responsibility, titles, and nerves in order to indulge in the feeling of Gabriel moving solidly within him. Had felt right to have his alpha in his bed again to knot him and make him come more times than he could count; each stretch more intense than the last.

_That’s right…Sing for me, Jackie._

It was one of the better joinings they had had in most recent years. Gabriel was all over him like a man possessed to mark and claim him as much as physically able. Jack returned the gestures in kind as he rode his mate into orgasm and bit down to alight their bond again with pleasure-pain. His darker skinned mate was thrilled to provide his own deep bite to the base of Jack’s neck, causing the blonde’s blue eyes to roll to the back of his head with deep satisfaction.

This close to each another, they felt as one for the first time in a long time. Reyes was enthused with the intensity while Jack wondered deep down if it had to do with his subtle pregnancy pheromones meddling with their heads.

Whatever it was, it somehow calmed the ache in the omega’s heart when they kissed lazily and cuddled their tired, sweaty bodies close afterwards.

It almost lightened the blow when Jack awoke the next morning to a cold bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love abo and mpreg, so I thought it was about time for me to attempt some for Reaper76. <3 I love angst, but I do plan to have some fluff in this fic as well. Gabe and Jack are a dysfunctional couple right now, and I'll explore more of that in the next chapter.  
> I don’t know how long I plan to have this fic, but I know I do want to explore from Pre-fall of Overwatch to the 'present' in the Overwatch timeline (Recall).  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	2. Apparition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparition (noun): a ghost or ghost-like image of a person. The appearance of something remarkable or unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some very, very slight references to McReaper? (from Jack’s perspective) Also discussions of abortion and some spousal abuse in this chapter. (I’m sorry…)

Gabriel was gone, but his scent lingered gratifyingly throughout Jack’s room.

Little traces of his mate that spoke of _security_ and _strength_.

Soaking up the aroma of his lover brought back more pleasant memories of their early years together when they had started in the SEP. He was fresh-faced from the army then, barely 20, and had masked his omega scent with suppressants and forged his medical documents to say ‘ _Alpha_ ’. When he was paired up with Gabriel, the two hit it off fast and eventually it was the alpha that helped him through his first heat when the enhancements caused his suppressants to fail months into the program.

Jack had never gone ‘all the way’ with an alpha (the opportunities never presented themselves in rural Indiana), and to be honest, when Jack first realized his feelings were reciprocated with the darker skinned man, he knew Gabriel was it for him.

No one else understood him like his mate, and vice versa.

He didn’t want anyone but _him_.

The higher ups had been livid when they discovered Jack’s true designation, but he and Gabriel were a success in the SEP and they were not about to waste their most precious assets because the pair happened to also be _sexually_ compatible.

Thus, a disclosure agreement was signed, Jack was given heavy duty military grade birth control and scent suppressants, and they sealed the deal with matching mating marks and a bond that had lasted 10+ years. The brass had at least given Jack and Gabriel a two day vacation to consummate their mating, which they took _full_ advantage of if Jack’s funny walk when they returned was any indication.

The omega lay in bed longer than what he usually allowed himself, keeping his eyes closed as he basked in the warmth of the blankets and kept his mind to the past. Not all of their times had been good or perfect; many situations had been difficult and painful.

However, there had always been love and _respec_ t behind every word and action, despite being in the grips of war and uncertainty during the Omnic crisis.  

The flashes of blood, wounds, and times spent stressing in the hospital sit bitter in the back of Jack’s throat. He turns and tries to think of more pleasant things.

Not of war, battle wounds, uncertainties, or the masked look on Gabriel’s face when Jack was called to the pulpit and promoted to strike commander. Not of the sting when Jack searched for him afterwards to no avail or the fight they had in their quarters.

Instead he fantasizes that Gabriel is in his kitchen, _their_ kitchen, cooking them a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacons like he used to do when he was feeling sentimental. He yearned for the domestic life where he could almost hear the singing of the dark skinned man’s deep, beautiful voice as he crooned verses and notes that made the omega’s heart swell.

Years had passed since such a fantasy had been real.

Now, the singing and lazy comfort that came from lounging with his beloved all day was a far off desire. They used to do it more frequently up until tensions rose and their schedules, work, and commitments took them away from one another.

It hurt more to think about what they had been.

Jack ran through a self-check of his body as he sluggishly ran his hand through his sex-tousled hair. He didn’t feel as queasy the morning after, his body more pleasantly sore and thoroughly ‘claimed’ than aching. It had been a while since he felt this way, and even though his mate had left without a proper goodbye, the omega at least had the luxury of falling asleep with him still there. How long exactly Gabriel stayed, Jack didn’t know.

What mattered was he had been able to steal away some time where arguments and frustrations could be swapped for intimate affection.

The blonde was hesitant to leave the cocoon of safety and face whatever the day had waiting.

His ears picked up the sound of his phone going off again in the living room, presumably still vibrating on the coffee table where he had left it the night before. He groaned mournfully as he dislodged himself from the blankets and swung his legs around to touch the floor.

Mild dizziness overwhelmed him for a second when his stomach grumbled desperately for food. His high metabolism had only become more persistent and irritable when he went too long without a large meal or snack. Now that he was not only feeding himself but presumably a much tinier enhanced human, his need for food was more pressing.

A glance at the clock tells him he has slept in far longer than he should have for a Saturday morning. His phone is still ringing, but he doesn’t find it in himself to respond urgently. This is the first time he’s slept in and has felt somewhat well-rested in a long time. He’s reluctant to ruin the good mood.

As he stretches, he notices it.

A smeared stain of deep red on one of the white pillow case where Gabriel had rested his head.

Jack inspects it carefully, brows furrowed.

_A nosebleed?_

There is also a stain on the corner of the bed, as if Gabriel had smeared it with his fingers by accident when he got up.

The cell phone rings louder.

He hesitantly pulls on sweatpants and finally answers the beckoning call of his phone and his 24/7 responsibility as Strike Commander.

It’s Sam, informing him there are protests outside of headquarters from the human rights groups rallying against the ‘unjust and unethical practices served out by Blackwatch’. Jack sinks to the couch, his good night’s rest forgotten as his secretary fills him in with all of the details. It’s not the first protest, and it certainly won’t be the last.

The blonde listens to his secretary while he gazes throughout his living room. Apparently the board wants to have a meeting at 11:00am to go over a write-up for a press conference they want Jack to speak at to address the accusations and try to calm the public.

Jack knows a shitshow when he sees one.

 _“Of course, send out the finger-puppet to do the dirty work…”_ Gabriel had sneered weeks ago when a similar situation arose.

Jack is tired of speaking out at conferences with hostile conniving reporters, but he supposes he rather it be him than anyone else. He has thick skin.

Mostly.

The media have said enough terrible and slanderous things about him that at this point, what’s one more stone? He will of course defend himself where it is needed, but this scandal has gone on long enough and he wonders what kind of agreement or deal they can adhere to and sign to get these protests to stop. It has been on the tip of his tongue to try and clean up the mess by offering more community outreach services to benefit society or roll over backwards to set things right, but the ugly scars run too deep.

The damage has been done and now all he can do is apologize and continue to act ‘professionally’ when his heart hurts and palms sweat.

More and more disgraceful mission reports leaking; words only meant for the shadows to rot and melt away have crawled to the surface to poison the minds and good names of Overwatch.

Missions he had signed off on and approved, thinking he was doing the world good by handling the threats and keeping citizens safe, only to find out too late they were not all for the name of justice and safety.

That’s all he ever wanted…to keep people safe.

Filtering through Overwatch and revamping their image would be a long haul, but Jack is willing to get his hands dirty. They’re under investigation by the United Nations, but Jack has hope that the allegations against them can somehow be leveled out, and their image refocused to one of public service and protection.

A ping on his holopad catches his attention.

 **Ana:** Have you looked through those files?

Jack feels ashamed to say that he had not. He was too distracted by his own personal issues to think clearly.

 **Jack:** No. Should I be concerned?

 **Ana:** I need your help to handle a situation.  Tracking an old friend and I may have some leads. I’ll need your approval.

 **Jack:** Where are you?

 **Ana:** Germany. Please look at the files ASAP.

 **Jack:** Will do. Stay safe.

 **Ana:** Always, _habibi_.

The omega pushes himself to get ready as quickly as he can so that he can fit in a shower. There’s no way he can walk into a board meeting smelling heavily like sex.

He ignores the humming ache of his body and focuses on trying to look as presentable as possible. He scrubs his skin nearly raw, trying to mask the scents Gabe has left on him, but is careful to soothe the fresh re-bitten mating mark. It stings pleasantly so, reminding Jack who he belongs to. The blonde feels settled knowing his alpha dons a matching one.

After washing up, he decides on his familiar blue uniform for the press conference. Jack hates being in front of cameras and reporters, but he is a natural public speaker and will complete his mission as skillfully as he can.

Stomach twisting again, the omega curses and makes a beeline for the kitchen.

The blonde sees the empty carton of orange juice left on top of the stove and sighs.

An awful habit compliments of his mate.   

A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. It’s good to see that Gabriel is still human, bad habits and all still withstanding.

He rattles through the fridge (a full size one given how much he eats) and pulls out some deli meats, cream cheese, and a bag of bagels.

He hastily puts together his breakfast, slathering cream cheese on two wheat bagels and piling turkey meat high in-between. It was a food that had Gabriel gagging and groaning at whenever he saw his mate prepare it.

Apparently, you _couldn’t take the Indiana out of the boy_ , Gabe would lament.

Jack downs the first bagel in a few bites, chewing becoming more of a chore than an enjoyment. It fills his stomach and he sighs in quelling the hunger for now. The other bagel he will eat on his way to his office.

As he fills up a glass of water, he pauses.

Looking to the left, the discreet covered omega pregnancy book is no longer where he left it the night before.

The blonde’s heart nearly skips a beat, breath hitching.

It isn’t until water sloshes over the cup and wets his hand that he snaps from his daze. He turns off the faucet and leaves the cup in the sink as he begins searching the room for where he could’ve left the book.

Jack knows it was late when Gabriel came to visit him, but he is not so forgetful as to misplace a book.

The result of his search locates the book at the side table next to the door.

His heart races, for his mate must have surely picked it up and looked through it.

As expected, there was a sticky note at the top of the book in Gabe’s immaculate handwriting:

**Are you being sentimental or do we need to talk?**

**-G**

Jack tucked the note in the book and decided the manual would do best to fit into his bookshelf, nestled away inconspicuously with the rest of the bound literature, graphic novels, and tactic books.

He would deal with it later.

*

The files on his desk are still there and he hones in on them like a lifeline.

Sam is talking rapidly in the phone and looks at him pleadingly when the strike commander nods in his direction. The poor guy is probably setting up enough meetings to make Jack’s head spin.

The files from Ana are on Talon and on  _Amelie_.

Unsurprising, given the fact that Ana has been tracking her former protégé’s leads as closely as her sniper eyes could manage. (Which was no small feat.)

Each time Jack reads up on Amelie, the more ill he feels. Three weeks ago, they were burying her husband Gerard after she had murdered him and made a run for it.

Jack blames himself for Gerard’s death. Blames himself for trusting Amelie and wanting to believe that everything was all right when it _wasn’t_.   He had been careless, and his carelessness led to the death of a friend.

When Amelie had been released seemingly unharmed (save for her strange new appearance),  the commander had thought the therapy and frequent check-ins would serve her well as she readjusted back into life at the compound.

It took Gerard being murdered in his sleep by his mate for Jack to realize how wrong he was.

Jack’s trusted adviser on tackling the problem Talon had proved to be was dead, and the work for that task force was handed off to Gabriel, whose large workload already had him gone more often than not.

The files Ana provides show pictures and notes on the former agent’s whereabouts. A Talon agent who seemed to fit the description of LaCroix had been spotted at one of the most recent Talon heists at a German munitions warehouse, having murdered close to a dozen security guards until she got her hands on the weapons.

Ana is requesting Jack to stay on alert for when she is able to pinpoint Talon's next move. At this point, the new sniper agent was a severe threat on the loose and her ties to Talon only served to further complicate the situation. It is only fitting that Jack and Ana prepare to take out this new agent, regardless if it _is_ Amelie, by any means necessary. 

Regardless of the grim news, Jack finds himself eating his second bagel as his stomach grumbles. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he curses his child for choosing a hell of a time to make their existence known.

*

An hour later he is in the conference room, head spinning.

The debriefing supplies him with the script they want him to read off at the press conference. The council walks through Jack what the United Nations is currently auditing throughout their departments and how changes are being planned to ensure more safeguards.

It’s the same spiel he has made countless times, just reworded to address this particular protest and garnered to sound less like the clusterfuck it actually is. Nothing about this is particularly new, and when he voices his concerns, the council is quick to dismiss his doubts.

With more Overwatch agents fleeing or being linked to terrorist organizations like Talon, the whole proposal of ‘safeguards’ in their institution sounds laughable at best.

In the back of his mind, jack feels the damage has already been done. The public hates them, hates _him_ , but he has a duty as the Strike Commander to stay on the sinking ship no matter how much he wants to jump off and disappear.

*

The press conference is as expected: a complete disaster.

Strike Commander Jack Morrison schools his face into one of professionalism and strength, but the media are vicious today as new allegations of weapons proliferation to the Deadlock gang and Shimada-gumi come to light.

Not to mention Talon's most recent heist of the German munitions warehouse.

(Which he thanks the gods that Ana had given him a heads up on while also wondering how the press got a hold of _more_ classified information.)

He had delivered his speech verbatim, voice strong and level. Things had been going as well as they could go, until questions opened up and Jack was almost blind-sided by the new allegations. The press were fuming and out for blood.

“What do you have to say about former Blackwatch agents being linked to Talon and to several murders and attacks against society?”

“What are you doing to keep the people safe?”

“How is it that your munitions keep falling into the hands of known violent threats?”

“What are you connections to the terrorist group Talon?”

Jack answered all of them the best he could, trying his hardest to keep his voice from shaking and devoid of worry. It was difficult to keep his composure as many journalists yelled and sneered, growing more upset when the Strike Commander refused to answer some of the questions on the basis of ‘classified information’.

It wasn’t until it got personal that sparks really began to fly.

“Is it true that your mate, Blackwatch Commander Reyes, is in cahoots with the deadlock gang?”

“What do you have to say about photos leaked of your mate’s men allegedly making deals with the Shimada-gumi?”

“Do you have any comment on allowing your mate to murder countless civilians in the name of gathering intelligence? What do you have to say about his use of torture?”

The omega retaliates, voice rising as he tries to respond and discredit the rumors. His stomach twists when he thinks of the reports he’s read on Gabriel, _his_ Gabriel, knowingly using torture to pull answers from their captives. Jack can remember Jesse coming to him after one particularly brutal mission, his eyes wide with concern when he told Jack something wasn’t right.

Something was wrong with several of the agents. With _Gabriel._

Chaos erupts in the press room and Jack does his best to tune out the angry questions, spiteful words, and some of the name calling that has escalated.

His hands shake as he is ushered off of the podium by their publicity team, shell-shocked by the press and angry that he had walked into the press’s trap so blindly.

When he makes it back into the waiting room, he vomits into the trash can.

*

Two days later, the French ambassador is assassinated in Paris during a peace rally to end violence in the world and stop drug and weapons trafficking. The peace rally called to end Overwatch and provide justice for those affected by the institution’s negligence.

Jack shouldn’t have found it surprising that the assassination was linked to former Overwatch agent Amelie Lacroix, who to Jack’s keen military eye had made purposeful moves to make herself known for the media to explode.

Talon was purposely dragging Overwatch’s name in the mud.

The omega watches the footage in his home, frozen and feeling like the weight of the world is falling on him as public mass outcry heightens.

All over the news, the media and civilians are pressuring the United Nations to completely shut down Overwatch and launch a full investigation of every agent. They call for an arrest of all high ranking officers in the organization, as well as a trial to root out the corruption from the bottom to the top. 

He is pale faced and gritting his teeth when Angela comes overs, looking no better as she makes her way to sit beside her closest friend who has grown to be so much like a brother to her.

She takes his hand and runs her thumb along the back of it.

“I know this has been difficult for you…but I need your answer by tomorrow, Jack.” She is gentle in her words, patient in her touch as the omega lets out a slow breath beside her.

Jack looks down at his lap, his other hand coming to rest low on his abdomen. His brows are furrowed and Angela feels saddened that she is asking him to make such a raw personal decision in the midst of all that is going on.

“I’ll come see you tomorrow afternoon, I promise.”

She squeezes his hand, “Thank you. I also brought some chocolate ice cream over for you. I thought we could watch something more cheerful, for old time’s sake.”

He could always count on Angela to try and brighten his mood with something so out of the blue like ‘hanging out’.

The blonde beta turns on an animal documentary of all things. Something neutral to pull both of their minds away from the awfulness of the world.

Jack eats his heaping bowl of ice cream quietly while they watch the wolf documentary and wonders how the world could want people like Angela to be investigated, tried, and possibly imprisoned.

He then begins to wonder if he even knows everything about her. If she is keeping her _own_ secrets safely guarded from Jack and the rest of Overwatch.

The blonde finds himself feeling ashamed for thinking this way.

*

Late in the evening, the Strike Commander decides to sweat out his anger and fears through one assured way; breaking a sweat. It comes natural to the enhanced soldier to lift weights and feel the familiar burn and stretch of his muscles.

Angela had already cleared him to continue doing the same amount of physical exercise that he has been doing, minus anything too excessive. She encouraged him to sweat out his stress and get back in tune with his body.

Two hours have passed and Jack finds himself on the padded floor, dodging and wrestling with an AI designed to handle enhanced soldiers.  The training AI was engineered for sparring specifically with Jack and some of the larger alphas in mind, and the omega has worked up quite a sweat as he works with the machine to hone his skill.

After a particularly rigorous round, there is a slow clap from the corner that is unmistakably his mate’s.

“Good to see the old man can still dance.” Gabriel is grinning ear to ear.

Jack can’t help the pull of a smile on his lips, “You’re older than me, _abuelo_.”

That earns a laugh from the alpha as he approaches him. There is also a light sheen of sweat dripping from his beautiful skin. “I’m not the one turning white, _mi zorro plateado_.”

The omega blushes and waves him off while he wipes the salty sweat from his brow. He notices that Jesse also enters the room, looking just as sweaty but a little unsure of himself when he spots Jack. Jesse knows Jack and Gabriel have been on rocky terms, so finding the two commander sin the same space always brought a certain level of apprehension. 

Jesse is an alpha. It isn’t surprising to find him tailing after Gabriel given his Blackwatch ties, but Jack and Jesse have always had something of an unusual relationship recently due to his own strained connections to his mate. Jack would never admit being outwardly jealous of the other man, but when the heats and ruts affect the mated pair, Jack is fierce on keeping his mate for himself. Jesse learned the hard way with boundaries when the Strike Commander nearly ripped out his throat when Gabriel came home smelling like Jesse after a spar during the early days.

The omega felt ridiculous, but his pregnant hormones were not allowing him to be pleased by the sight of both of the alphas coming in sweaty. His mind wasn’t helpful in conjuring up images of _why_ they were sweaty. It was unreasonable to ask that Gabriel spar with no one but himself, but it was all Jack's instincts growled and clawed at. 

The blonde doesn’t even realize that he’s showing his teeth in a small fit of dominant possession for his mate. Gabriel’s touch to the side of his neck pulls him from his focus on the younger alpha.

“Care to swap out that bucket of bolts for something more alive?” he offers.

Jack’s shoulders relax as he turns his concentration to Gabe.  “Like old times?”

“Like old times.” Gabriel parrots fondly and leans in to kiss Jack’s mating mark at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. It’s his own show of possessiveness which runs a thrill through Jack’s spine. They used to spar all of the time, in the early days of SEP. The alpha used to joke that their sparring was a way for them to court one another until they eventually mated.

“Any rules?” Gabe asks.

Jack is a little hesitant, but he could hear Angela lecturing him in the outer reaches of his mind. “No punching and no blows to the stomach. Haven’t been feeling 100%.”

Gabriel’s face flashes in recollection, “Does it have something to do with that _book_?”

The blonde frowns, “ _No_. Just some light reading.”

“Pretty heavy subject to be ‘light reading’.” Gabriel points out while they get into position, shoulders crouching lower as they circle on another. Jack makes the first move, swiping out his hand to try and grab for Gabriel’s arm.

The alpha twists, brushing off the grab and moves to swipe his mate off of his feet. Jack uses Gabriel’s back as a base and jumps behind him, grabbing onto him in the process and wrapping his right leg around his waist and his left out from his feet.

Gabriel falls to his knees and twists to push the athletic omega into the mat. Jack pushes his hips up, pulling his legs up higher to ensure the alpha’s neck and head between his thighs. Jack’s thighs were not as big as Gabriel’s, but they were no less powerful.

The blonde smirked. “This looks familiar…”

Gabriel pushes back, pretzeling Jack and turning him as Jack tries to escape. He gets on top of the omega, Jack’s legs and arms pinned by Gabriel’s legs, an arm, and most of his torso.

“You know we don’t get the flu bug, Jackie. Why are you so protective of this?” a hand sneaks in-between to rest over Jack’s belly.

The blonde lashes out quickly, shoving Gabriel back as he rights himself. His mate is fast though, and Jack finds himself pinned with the alpha pushing back full force, getting Jack into a chokehold.

The omega takes in a deep breath and notices Jesse is absent.

It is just the two of them.

“You’re slow. Your mind is full and your scent has changed. I’m you _mate_ , Jack, I can smell ever minuscule change in your body. I can _feel_ it.” He nosed along Jack’s temple and the blonde growled, bending himself just enough to elbow the alpha and get out of the choke-hold.

Gabriel laughs when the omega moves to pin him down, using his powerful upper body strength to disable the alpha’s movement. It is long enough for Jack to tell his mate to stop screwing around before they begin sparring more seriously, their chatter reduced to grunts and heavy breathing.

They are in the middle of sparring, sweat dripping down their bodies when a new smell wafts through the room.

Thick cigarillo smoke from Jesse, who stands again at the corner to watch the two commanders.

The smell of ashy smoke roils Jack’s stomach and he barely misses Gabriel when he shoves off of him and throws up to the side on his hands and knees.

Gabriel pinpoints the cause and is surprised to see it is the smoke that has bothered Jack so. Jesse is just as shocked, his eyebrows nearly disappearing in his hairline. Jesse, and on occasion Gabriel, smoked regularly around the Strike Commander and never had he gotten so sick. 

Jesse puts out the cigarillo with his boot and scurries to find paper towels. Jack is already standing up, wiping his mouth and making a run for it.

The older alpha curses and goes to chase after his mate.

*

Gabriel knows something is up. First the book, then the scent change, and now Jack vomiting on the floor, which he hasn’t done so since the SEP days from the injections or when he was close to dying one time from a gunshot.

The blonde was typically faster than Gabe, but he was still feeling ill and had slowed down just enough for his mate to catch up.

“What the fuck was _that_!?”

Jack glances back, giving him a withering look as he presses forward, presumably to his room.

Gabriel snarls, “You _are_ , aren’t you? Don’t fuckin lie to me, Morrison!”

Jack shoved the older man away from him, causing the alpha to nearly lose his footing.

“I can’t!” Jack spat back, trembling now in the face of his unrelenting mate. “It’s not-“ Jack rubbed his hand over his mouth.

_Ears everywhere. Eyes everywhere._

_Always watching, waiting for information…_

He couldn’t do this here.

Gabriel’s hands were on his shoulders now, steadying him. What was once anger and frustration had shifted to genuine concern as Jack looked on the brink of collapsing.

“Jack?”

“I’m under enough stress, Gabe. I don’t need you making ridiculous allegations while I’m trying to clean up your fucking messes.”

“You’re avoiding my question.”

“Don’t mock me.” Jack pushed and began to stalk off on shaky legs, but Gabriel wasn’t going to allow him to walk away from this conversation.

Gabriel grabbed him by the arm, pulling him into an alley between the gym and the barracks. The omega let out a sound of disgruntled surprise when his mate pressed him up against the wall, hands firm on his shoulders.

“You need to be honest with me, _amante_.” His voice was deeper, more serious as he lowered it enough for only he and Jack to hear. A private conversation amid the open air that had Jack’s nerves on high.

“It doesn’t matter. If I was, I wouldn’t let it- I _can’t_. _We_ can’t.” the omega shook his head vehemently, “Besides, what do you care? You haven’t cared about our couplings in a long time.”

Gabe’s eyes hardened, “Of course I care. Don’t give me that shit, Jackie.”

“Fuck you.” Jack knew it was a lame excuse, but he was afraid of being outside of the safety of his room where anyone could stumble by, anyone could hear and _know_ what was going on.

Gabriel ran his hand across his forehead, frustrated.

“You never tell me anything anymore. Guess you have to have a script for all of your conversations these days.” Gabriel scoffed, “Need the council’s approval before you talk or eat or take a shit. Huh, _boy scout_?”

The omega’s face twisted in hurt.

A line of dark red seeped from Gabriel’s nose. He frowned and sniffed, wiping his hand underneath to swipe it away.

They leveled each other iron-willed looks, neither of them backing down. The blonde kept his lips sealed, jaw tightening.

Gabriel made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat. 

The alpha spat again to the side as he pushed off of Jack and stalked off.

The blonde watched his mate’s outline disappear.

*

The strike commander went through the motions when he got home.

He ate what he could to appease his hunger (2 MREs and another bagel with cream cheese and cinnamon), took a shower to wash off all of the sweat, put the dishes away, brushed his teeth, made hot tea, and went to bed.

It was a struggle to make himself comfortable enough to fall asleep; the anger and words of his mate weighing heavy on his mind. He wondered what Gabriel was doing. Wondered if the alpha went off to fight off his irritation or unleashed it on Jesse.

Like most times when he felt down on himself, he texted Ana.

 **Jack:** When are you coming back? We need some sanity around here.

 **Ana:** Two days. Are you practicing your meditations?

 **Jack:** No…haven’t had time.

 **Ana:** You can make time. You’re the SC.

 **Jack:** Doesn’t seem to mean much these days.

 **Ana:** You’re still a good person, Jack.

 **Jack:** At least you think so.

 **Ana** : Self-depreciation is not a good look on you. Drink some chamomile and get some sleep. All will be as it should.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes.

He ended up watching another animal documentary while he lay in bed and dozed between sleep and mind numbing wakefulness. 

*

The omega should’ve been expecting it when his bed dipped in the middle of the night. He stirred slightly, would’ve felt more alarmed if he hadn’t already scented the ‘intruder’ with his heightened senses.

“Gabe?” he murmured tiredly, eyes unwilling to focus in the darkness of the room.

A cold hand reached out and laid itself atop Jack’s hip, the alpha’s muscled body laying beside him on top of the covers.

Jack doesn’t question Gabriel’s presence; is too tired to fight again. It is a pleasant change to have him there to keep him present and grounded in the moment. The omega yearns for intimacy, yearns for what they used to have before everything got so tangled and bitter.

He is tired of fighting, of arguing, and now they are in the safety of his bed away from responsibility, the council, the UN, the media, and all of the problems that have been plaguing both of them over the last few weeks.

Ever so carefully, he lays his hand over his mate’s and gently guides it down to his abdomen. There is no outward physical change and his skin is still corded with muscle, but underneath grows the life and the possible future he had always wanted.

It was enough confirmation for the alpha, who could sense the change in his mate so profoundly. There was no use lying to Gabriel about the existence of the pregnancy when the man already knew him inside and out. Jack's scent was enough of a dead giveaway.

“I don’t know what to do.” Jack confessed in a moment of raw admission and fear. He was drained from their recent fight and felt the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders.

Even his own partner didn’t seem to be on his side, hadn’t been for a while, and the blonde felt himself breaking down under the scrutiny and scathing words of the media and of the council. He had been strong for so long, but the change of his hormones were doing him no favors in this time of high stress and alert.

He wished he could be joyful about his pregnancy, could celebrate with his mate, but it seemed a far away idea.

“How long?” Gabe whispers in the back of his neck. His hands are icy as he splays out his fingers and rubs smoothly along Jack’s abdomen.

“Nine weeks now.” The omega supplies carefully.  His mate’s breath hitches in surprise.

“From your last heat?” Gabriel remembers that particular session in the Strike Commander’s office. He kisses the back of the blonde’s neck; breathes in his scent.

Jack nods.

Back then, the Blackwatch leader had _intended_ to deliver a new mission report. He was still fresh off of the transporter when he had walked into the commander’s office to find him stubbornly working through the obvious fever and symptoms of a heat. His mate had denied him at first, but Gabe shut the door and they ended up a tangle of limbs first against Jack’s desk (to which he complained about messing up his reports), to the chair (which they broke), and then to the carpet below where they knotted and stayed joined for far longer than usual.

It had been completely deprived and filthy, but it had also been _wonderful_.

Gabriel wants to grin at the memory and be excited about the news, but Jack is on edge and things are off. The alpha presses on, “Who knows?”

“You, Angela.”

“Not Ana?”

“Not yet.”

Gabriel steadies his hand back and forth as if lulling a sleepy infant. Somewhere in there is the tiny life that, against all odds and possibilities, is growing. There are hundreds of questions going through the alpha’s mind on how this is possible after so many years of them being together and helping each other through heats and ruts. He is worried for his mate, what the stress could do to this pregnancy, but a bone-deep satisfaction thrums in the alpha. A primal desire to see his beautiful mate carrying his child; his blood. 

“How did this happen? Why now, of all times?” Gabriel isn’t sure if this was something Jack had even planned.

How could he with everything else going on?

Gabriel ventures so far as to think Jack might’ve done this on purpose; gotten himself knocked up in order to keep them tethered together. Make amends somehow. Gabriel closes his eyes and tries to refocus on their bond and not the ever present anger that crawls deep in his stomach and beckons him to lash out blindly. He knows logically that his mate would never do such a thing.

“This wasn’t intended. Angela thinks my implant may have been altered purposely. We need to tread carefully with the eyes everywhere, Gabe. I can’t even trust _you_.”

It hurt, but Gabriel understood.

He wouldn’t trust himself either.

“So what are you going to do, _mi corazon_?”

Jack is quiet for a moment while his mind tries to right itself. He is thankful he has his back to his mate when Gabe is pressed up against him so close. It somehow makes it easier to get through the difficult conversation they’re having.

“I can’t. Angela is going to terminate it.”

“You can’t be serious.” Gabe rotated his mate then, pushing him into the bed so quickly it surprised the omega from his thoughts. “This is our _child_ , Jack. You’ve always wanted this. I've always wanted this. A family, _mi amor”_

“It’s exactly why I can’t have it. Someone on the outside might’ve intended for this to happen. I won’t have a child in the midst of all this danger. We’re barely together, Gabe, and you know as well as I do that our days might be numbered.”

The words throbbed.

He wasn't telling the whole truth.

He knew he was going to keep the pregnancy. Despite all of the atrocities happening, he wanted to have at least _one_ thing good in his life.  

He hated lying to his mate, but in his defense, it was for all of their safety.

For Gabe’s, Jack’s and their _child’s._

He was afraid of what Gabriel and him were becoming together.

Gabriel, however, wasn’t having it.

“You always were a terrible storyteller. I can smell it on you.” He leaned down, kissed the corner of Jack’s pursed lips. Carefully, he wiped some of the moisture away from the corner of Jack’s eyes with his calloused thumb.  

The blonde seemed surprised that tears were even trying to surface.

“If we can ever be a normal, functioning couple again, maybe we could give this another shot.” Jack replies stubbornly.

Gabe frowns, “You aren’t seriously going to destroy the one thing you’ve always wanted?”

“This isn’t what I want.”

“Now I know you’re full of shit, Jackie. Stop trying to act so self-righteous.”

Jack sighs and lays flat on the bed. He isn’t sure how to move forward from that.

Gabriel snakes a hand up his torso to wrap loosely around his neck. It doesn’t cut off air supply, but it is enough of a threatening gesture for Jack to tighten up and look at his mate questioningly in the dark. He isn't in the mood to have sex, but the touch is without intimacy.

As he looks to the alpha, his face seems twisted and dark.

Something is off in Gabriel and it begins to alarm the younger man.

“I know things aren’t going well and you’re scared, but I promise it will all make sense in the end. I promise that what will happen will be to set things right.”

The blonde’s fight or flight triggered as Gabriel tightened his hand. “To make _what_ right? _Gabe_?”

Something had changed within those quiet seconds. 

The alpha laughed deep and low, startling Jack enough for him to jolt out of his mate’s grip and away from the cold figure in his bed.

The change was so jarring, it left the pregnant omega confused and shaken. The blonde began to wonder if he was in some sort of obscure nightmare.

“You need to leave.” Jack was on the other side of the bed, chest heaving as he tried to put distance between himself and his partner. Something smelled off on the alpha; like soured decay and rot. It was putting Jack’s whole body in distress as the usual soothing scent of his mate seemed poisoned and skewed.  

“Oh, _Jackie_ …” Gabriel’s voice comes out crooked, his eyes almost seeming red in the darkness as he approaches his lover. Jack's breaths quicken in terror as he grabs his handgun from the chest of drawers and aims it at his mate.

The barrel of the gun is three feet from Gabriel’s chest.

His eyes no longer appear red and Jack wonders if he is hallucinating from all of the stress.

His head aches with pounding adrenaline.

“I won’t stop you from what you want to do, but I love you, Jack. I _do_. And I will love our child, even though things won’t be right for a while. You just need to _trust_ me.”

“What happened to you?” Jack ventures again, hand still firmly on the gun, cocked and ready to shoot if the alpha makes a wrong move. “What the hell are you _talking_ about?”

There is blood running down Gabriel’s nostrils, down his left ear.

“You should take our child and get out of here while you still can, Jackie. Keep yourself safe.”

“You know I can’t leave.” Jack can’t stop staring between Gabriel’s eyes to the blood on his face, “Gabe, you’re bleeding...why..?”

“They’ll have your head on a platter if you stay.” It’s a threat. A warning.

“ _Who will_?” Jack's head is spinning, "What is _wrong_ with you?"

The alpha takes a step back. "Even though I sometimes hate you, I do want the best for you. This child changes things." 

Gabriel runs his hand across his head, through the soft curls at the top of his neat haircut as his winces. He runs the back of his hand across his nose, an imitation of earlier, but there is more blood this time. He doesn’t care to look at his hand as he wipes the crimson on the side of his pants.

“You need to leave.” Jack orders again. Fear and confusion pump through his veins, howling in his ears to remove the threat. 

His mate looks at him for a moment, measuring up the man who has been his lover for most of his life. Something crosses his chestnut eyes, a flicker of recognition that has his vision focusing in as if he is seeing Jack for the first time, even through the dark shadows of the room. Jack calls Gabe's name carefully and the alpha looks painfully towards him, something crossing his face as he takes another step back. The alpha runs his hands against his head, grimacing slightly as he turns and leaves without another word.

The interaction is so out of place, so abnormal and disturbing that it leaves Jack completely disoriented.

When the front door locks shut, Jack collapses to the ground and feels his eyes sting with tears for the first time in what feels like _years_.

*

Angela looked pale-faced and stricken when Jack came to see her the next morning.

He sat across from her on the exam table, head heavy and heart aching from the nightmare he had experienced the night before. After Gabriel had left, Jack had changed the codes on his suite to deny his mate any further access.

Something was wrong with his mate enough to where Jack was visibly and mentally shaken by their exchange. He tells Angela as much, but she has no helpful reply as she looks towards him grimly and asks him to document the incident. He tells her about the blood, but Angela dismisses it and says it could be due to the warmer weather or an injury. She promises she will chase Gabriel down and do an exam, if the alpha will allow her. Gabriel's aversion to being in the medical wing complicates things. 

When jack presses again, Angela offers him as much reassurance as she can. 

She is avoiding the conversation. Avoiding an answer. 

Jack won’t go to the higher ups about Gabriel's behavior in fear of them putting him on probation, which would only worsen the alpha's agitation. Besides, jack isn't even entirely sure what had happened. It was all too surreal, like a phantom had possessed his mate and caused this nightmare. He wonders if he hallucinated the whole thing or exaggerated it somehow. Either way, he is worried about his mate and what is happening to him.

He is also worried for his own mental state. 

What is happening to _them_.

He is lost in thought when Angela approaches him and presses her hand to his shoulder. “I need a yes or a no, Jack.”

A lump rises in his throat. “I’m keeping it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m honored by all the love the first chapter received. Thank you so much! <33 I had a day off today, so.. ta-daah!  
> You can have artistic liberty with the Character ages, but I imagine they are- Jack in his early 40s, Gabe in his mid-40s, Angela late-20s/early 30s, and Ana to be in her later 40s/early 50s. I decided that for this fic, the time jump between fall of Overwatch and the recall will shorter instead of 10+.  
> Also, Jack can speak fluent Spanish. I can’t see him being with Gabe for over 10 years and not knowing. (I like to think Gabriel taught him when they were in the SEP)  
> Also...the soft beginnings of Reaper! Gabe definitely isn't 'himself' at the end of the chapter and he's starting to change. More will come as the story progresses. Sorry if he seemed ooc, more to come in ch3. Jack definitely feels like he's had some sort of nightmare, and Gabriel is beginning to lose himself more from the stress of their situation.
> 
> Two bagels totally inspired by [this comic](http://blitzkrieggail.tumblr.com/post/157442538800)  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	3. Adrift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He is feeling wistful; lonely and wishful despite the care of his friend before him.  
> It’s not the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings in this chapter for graphic depictions of violence, spousal abuse (kind of), discussions of depression and grief.

Jack thinks the pair of them looks a sad sight; two weary souls donning tired blue eyes, frown lines deepening, and the heaviness of too much in the world echoed in the slouch of their shoulders. The omega feels like the past few months have aged him by years, if his increase of silvery white hairs is any indication to go by.

Despite the stress, Angela is still beautiful, blessed by her youth and whatever chemicals pump through her own veins. The commander watches her prepare the blood samples carefully as he sips his mug of tea and tries to settle his nerves. He wouldn’t trust anyone else besides one of his closest friends to care for him and help him in this unique predicament.

The omega _hopes_ he can trust her.

He knows he is possibly making a mistake in keeping this pregnancy, but he is selfish and weary of jumping through all of the fiery hoops the UN sets before him. He had always thought he would retired at a decent age, move somewhere more tropical with his mate, and raise a family in a modest beach-side home. He would be a good soldier and help all those in need on side missions while he and Gabriel raised their family.

Instead, he became too busy with ‘the cause’ and dedicated himself to his work.

_To be a good soldier._

Over time, he has seen less of the battlefield and more of his office desk and mounds of paperwork to sort through, sign, and push forward. He has come to find out that the people they were helping were not all innocents or those suffering great afflictions; that they have laid with the rats and serpents as well.

“Your blood levels are slightly elevated, but nothing outside of normal ranges.” Angela pulls him from his darker thoughts as she continues, “That is not to say that I approve of what I see. With your unique physiology and situation, I would like to do a weekly check-up on you and the fetus. There have been no cases of enhanced soldiers procreating, so I am uncertain how the serum and your DNA will affect their rate of growth and your metabolism. As it stands, I can clear you to do your usual workout routine, but please refrain from anything too strenuous. You should also be eating close to double of what you normally do.”

“ _Double_?” Jack looks to her incredulously. He already eats enough to put even _Reinhardt_ to shame.

“You’ve lost 5 pounds, Jack.”

Jack huffs, “I haven’t eaten my breakfast yet.”

“You’re stressed.”

“What else is new?”

“Stress isn’t good for the fetus, and it certainly isn’t good for _you_. I’ll need to monitor your blood pressure twice a day and have you come to my office every Saturday morning for a more in-depth checkup. If anyone asks, the _stress_ is a good enough excuse.”

The older man runs his hand across his jaw where his stubble has grown less thick and patchier since his hormones decided to wage war on his body. 

“When would I start showing? I need to know how long I can keep this in the dark from the media.” Jack questions.

Angela taps her fingers on the side of her desk, biting her lip as she looks over the readings, “Typically male omegas start really showing by the 4 month mark. For you, I am not so sure. Once again, your physiology and enhancement serum will decide that for you.”

“Hopefully this media nightmare will be over in a few weeks.”

They both know it is highly unlikely, but they could hope.

Jack decides he will do his best to mask the pregnancy and his scent for as long as possible. He has enough of the media slaughtering his image throughout the headlines, but he figures it couldn’t get worse from what they’ve already said and alleged of him. If they want to discriminate against him and his designation as an omega as well, so be it.

It’ll be a nightmare either way. _Especially_ when they link the sire as being Gabriel Reyes.

Angela pulls the empty mug from Jack’s hands and sets in its place a package of scent suppressors.

“I trust you remember how to put these on?”

“It’s been a while.” Jack runs his thumb over the label. His heat suppressants and birth control masked his scent for many years, but the omega still remembers being a teenager and picking up a similar brand from the local omega clinic in his hometown. He remembers sneaking off in the evenings after football practice; lying to his parents and denying his designation.

He sighs as he runs his thumb across the label and shifts to happier memories.

He remembers Gabriel reminding him to take his medicine. The loving kisses to his forehead when his mate would in turn take his rut suppressants. Every evening after dinner, for so many years…

 “They shouldn’t affect you or the fetus, but if they cause any irritation, please let me know. I can’t give you any oral medications for obvious reasons, so be sure you cover up well so they’re out of sight from prying eyes.” The blonde beta instructs.

The omega’s mouth is still creased into a thin frown.

“Jack?”

He is feeling wistful; lonely and wishful despite the care of his friend before him.

_It’s not the same._

This pregnancy was the last thing truly connecting him to his alpha. Although Gabriel still lived on the same base and operated with him, the wedge between them was too hardened and formidable to break through easily. After what had happened the night before, after the _hallucinations_ , Jack wonders if he knows who his mate _is_ anymore.

In another life, another timeline, Gabriel would be here with him. His mate would be protective and excited, trying to learn everything he could on how to be a good father and support his partner.

He could imagine the Gabriel he had married so long ago; would be singing lullabies with his guitar and smiling fondly every time he met Jack’s eyes, knowing they would be parents soon.

_Everything has changed._

 “I know you’re avoiding my questions about Gabriel, Ang.”

 He thinks of last night and the blood on his bed.

Thinks of the rotted smell, cold hands, and hardened voice of the man whom he used to share a bed and a home with for most of his lifetime.

“Has he made you swear not to tell me what’s going on with him?” He levels her a stern look.

Angela exhales and looks down to the floor to avoid eye contact, “Patient confidentiality, commander.”

“Has he _threatened_ you?” Jack raises his voice a little louder in frustration, only to see Angela flinch and keep her head down.

Again, she refuses to discuss Gabriel.

“I can’t.” She tries slowly, pained.

“Well, tell me when you _can_. He’s my _mate_ , Angela, and I have a right to know what’s going on with him.” He scoots off of the exam table and pockets the scent suppressors. “Especially if it’s something serious.”

She nods her head, but it is only to placate him.

He rests his hand on her shoulder, giving a quiet thank you for the exam, before leaving in a state of annoyance and frustration. The clock is ticking and he has another meeting to attend within the hour.

The beta watches him go, feeling mournful guilt for being a coward.

*

_Then_

Gabriel came to her in the middle of the night, bypassing the codes to her office as he stumbled in, breathing ragged and eyes bloodshot red. She had been taking a nap at her desk, working late on other projects when the disturbance rattled her.

“It’s getting _worse_.” He growled, his left hand cupping the side of his head as if his skull were about to burst open.

Angela was out of her chair in seconds, rushing to him frantically to guide him to lie down at the exam table in the corner of her office. She was no stranger to responding to emergencies, going from 0-100 in a blink of an eye despite how tired she was. The only give away to her exhaustion was the shaking of her fingertips and the small shadows under her eyes.

The alpha was gritting his teeth in obvious agony while her hands tried to soothe his skin. His flesh was like ice and she recoiled at first, noticing his fingertips were more black than the light brown of his skin.

He was bleeding from his left ear and both nostrils, his forehead on fire when she ran the back of her hand across it to measure out his body temperature. The monitor beside her showed his spiked vitals and beeped loudly in warning.

“I almost hurt Jack.” Gabriel choked, his voice strained. He fought back the crawling inside him; stirring under his skin like the scraping of nails and splinters. “I saw the life within him beating so bright, I almost- _I almost_ -“

Despite the shaking, she prepared the necessary equipment and injected him with the carefully designed serum Dr. O'Deorain had instructed to give him while she was away, shushing him quietly as she ran her other hand over his forearm in long, sweeping circles.

She was surprised her whole body was not shaking in terror.

Gabriel gasped in a deep breath, eyes closing and head hung back while the pains slowly ebbed away into a more tolerable ache.

The anger within him began to die down into a minor ember, clearing with it the tortuous thoughts and emotions that overwhelmed and consumed him to act upon it.

Angela watched Gabriel’s fingertips turn back to the familiar color of his skin.

“Did you dissociate again?” the doctor placed a bandage over the pinprick and rubbed at his muscle, further stimulating the serum to rush through his bloodstream. Gabriel was quiet for a few moments longer. The bleeding stopped and his vitals slowly descended.

When a few minutes passed, Angela ventured again fearfully, “ _Gabriel_? What happened? Is Jack _okay_?”

“I didn’t hurt him.” Gabriel spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, raw from the scraping of his throat. “I came to before- I should have never gone to him. It’s getting _worse_ , Ang. I don't know if it'll ever get better.”

Angela had always had her reservations about the Blackwatch geneticist who had been 'helping' Gabriel with his condition. Things only looked worse from her standpoint, and she feared there was nothing she could do to reverse the effects of whatever Moira had pumped into the commander's veins. 

“I can up the dosage.” Angela tried to reassure him.

The older man snorted and shook his head. “We’ve been upping the dosage for months. It’s _spreading_ , I can feel it. The need is _worse_ than it ever was before.”

“Maybe it’s time you seek help from-“

“You can’t tell him _or_ the council.”

The blonde winced, “I know.”

“Even if this shit takes me down, you can _never_ tell him.” He stated more adamantly; aggressively. He looked to her with bloodshot eyes.

Angela pulled the courage to disagree, “I still think you are making a mistake. He will understand if you explain. I’ve been researching this as much as I can, but I don’t know what the long term effects are, and neither does Moira. I don’t know how much time you have left, and with Jack pregnant…he’s going to _need_ what time you do have. He needs you, Gabriel.”

After a few quiet minutes, Gabriel pushed her aside with a small growl, seemingly himself again while he brushed her off. He was wobbly on his legs as he sluggishly gained his footing once more.

“Gabriel?”

“If this goes south, I need you to watch over him and our child.”

The blonde felt tears brimming on the corners of her eyes, “The child deserves to have _both_ of their parents. I am certain that if we go to the higher ups, we will have more resources to find a cure or something to stop you from deterorating. It isn’t fair, Gabriel. I am so tired of watching you two fight and everything fall apart.”

The alpha’s frown deepened, “You’re not going to guilt-trip me into anything. Jack _will_ be okay. I’ll see to that.”

“He deserves to know.” Angela ventured, again, for the hundredth time it seemed.

Gabriel stopped at the door and looked back to her with a glare, dried blood still caked to his skin. “Not a word, _Ziegler_.”

The doctor hung her head low as silent tears spilled down her cheeks.

*

_Now_

It might’ve seemed like an unwise move, but with his mate elsewhere on campus attending to his soldiers, Jack decided it was time to investigate.

It had been two days since the incident and Gabriel had kept himself well out of Jack’s sights and off the radar. It annoyed the hell out of the blonde to know his partner was deliberately avoiding him, but after their last encounter, he could mildly understand why. He wondered if the Blackwatch commander was dealing with some sort of health crisis, hidden away from the blonde. The thought had entertained Jack’s mind before, but after the strange behavior he witnessed, he felt more compelled to set aside the time to find out.

He had mounds of paperwork on his desk, but his mate was his concern.

Something was wrong.

Was _off._

He could feel it in his bones and through the bond.

Gabriel’s room was across base, closer to the Blackwatch barracks where he could overlook the recruits.  He had moved there a long while ago when he and Jack had viciously gone head to head with their relationship problems before the blonde stubbornly departed on a two weeks long mission to Italy.

When Jack had returned, their shared suite was empty of Gabriel’s things.

The memory still stung.

It’s mid-morning and the barracks are clear and quiet. Blackwatch is out for drills where presumably his mate has gone as well. He overrides the code to the Blackwatch commander’s room easy enough and quickly shuffles inside, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he is resorting to snooping. He tells himself it is for the greater good and for Gabriel’s well-being, but Jack also knows his stubbornness and desire to know everything cannot be outmatched or mistaken.

Gabriel’s room is similar to his own; an officer’s quarters with a small kitchen, a bathroom, a small barely functional living room, and a bedroom with a closet. It gives the illusion of an apartment feel, but the size is much too small for it to be mistaken as anything other than military issued.

The alpha’s living room is set up with a table which is littered in gun cleaning materials. There are the usual furnishings of a couch, computer desk, and a holo-tv.  On the walls are maps and newspaper clippings of Blackwatch news, which Jack quickly turns away from as the reminder of the media leaves a sour taste in his mouth. Nonetheless, his eyes scan quickly over the world map where colored pins are decorated about with strings and pictures.

Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Gabriel’s kitchen is neat and clean; the alpha was always the more fastidious one in the relationship. No dishes in the sink, no plates left out. Jack goes so far as to check the dishwasher and finds it empty.

What puzzles him more is the fridge is nearly empty as well, save for some orange juice, eggs, a couple packets of raw meat, and a loaf of bread.

The freezer is in no better situation.

Jack opens the cupboards and finds a plethora of MREs.

At least Gabriel is eating _something_ other than mess hall food.

Not wanting to waste time, he moves into the bedroom where Gabriel’s gray sheets are neatly made on his bed. The room smells overpoweringly of the alpha and Jack takes a moment to pause and inhale the reassuring scent. He had always loved his husband’s smell; craved it when they were separated on long missions or across conference tables.

Gabriel’s guitar rests on its stand in the corner, waiting proudly for its owner to return.

Near the chest of drawers, there are numerous framed and tacked on photographs.

There’s a photo of the group when Overwatch was first founded; happier times where smiles were more abundant as hope and comradery fueled their purpose. Even Fareeha is in the photos, young and excited as she’s surrounded by family. Gabriel had always been so good with her; making her clothing and playing with her for hours on end while Ana and Jack watched humorously from the sidelines.

( _Where Ana had reached across the kitchen table to cover Jack’s hand and tell him that one day, it will be his turn and that he and Gabriel would be wonderful parents._ )

Another is a photo of Gabriel with some of his Blackwatch recruits, Jesse among them looking younger and more vibrant with his arms around a few of his buddies. Jack can tell his mate is fighting a smile in the photo, even with his arms crossed imposingly. 

 It is vain of him, but Jack seeks out photos of just him and his mate. There are a few from their SEP days with old friends long since passed.

There is one of Jack on the shores of Ilios when they had snuck away early in the morning to watch the sunrise, years ago.

Although he is happy to see some of their relationship alive in the photos, he knows there were so many more they had taken.

He wonders what Gabriel has done with some of the raunchy photos Jack had taken in an effort to keep their sex life interesting. He blushes at the thought and goes to look through the drawers, finding the typical issued clothing and a few rounds of ammo tucked away.

Frustratingly, there is nothing seemingly out of place in the bedroom, except for the mini-fridge in the closet that contains a couple of needles with bright yellow liquid. Presumably for healing, compliments of Angela, Jack leaves it be. He has similar cases in his own quarters for emergencies.

The last place the omega looks into is the older man’s desk. He is back in the living room, shuffling through the top drawer when a familiar rattling clink catches his attention.

He moves the maps, magazines, and old pictures aside to find a familiar silvery gleam at the bottom.

_Gabriel’s wedding ring._

Their wedding hadn’t been large or traditional.

They had already been mated for a while and had decided on a few days leave that they would clean up and get off base for a few hours in order to get hitched. They had picked out the tungsten rings from an antiques shop and gone to a courthouse where they were married privately.

It was a small, intimate affair where they had written their own vows.

It had only been for them and it had been _perfect_.

He runs his thumb over the precious metal and pockets it.

The blonde stands there for a moment, hands braced on the desk.

He is lost in his own memories.

“Thought you didn’t want to muddy up your shoes on this side of the base.”

Jack closes his eyes, praising himself he only jumped a fraction at the sound of the older man’s deep voice. He turns around and faces his husband.

“You scared me the other night. I wanted to check in on you.” It’s an attempt to lighten the mood, but falls short when Gabriel scowls at him.

“You’re snooping through my things, aren’t you?”

Jack, the terrible liar that he is, lies, “No, of course not.”

The darker skinned man snorts and goes to his kitchen to grab the carton of orange juice. He downs half the jug before placing it back into the fridge.

The omega watches him as he stands next to the table, guarded.

“You should leave.” Gabriel is not in the mood for games, “Let me have some peace before my mission tonight. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

“No, we need to talk about what happened the other night. What is going _on_ with you?” Jack questions persistently.

“Did you think you were going to find some drugs or a Ouija board in here? I’m _fine_. Shit has been intense, which is why I moved here _away_ from you and your issues.” Gabriel places his hands on his hips, ignoring Jack’s wince, “We’re both under a lot of pressure. I can forgive you for being nosy, but you should get going.”

“So you’re going to deny that something is wrong?” the younger man shot back.

“I’m _fine_ , Jackie. I was just over tired and needed some sleep. I’m sorry I spooked you out.”

 “You’re honestly going to tell me that all of that the blood was completely normal? It was coming out of your **ear**!”

Gabriel sighs, “I don’t want to do this right now.”

Jack ignored him. He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated, “Why did you tell me I need to leave Overwatch? Is there something I _should know_?”

The questions kept pouring, overwhelming him.

The alpha gestured towards Jack’s stomach, “It’s not good for you or the baby to be stressed as all hell. Since I know you’re keeping it- and don’t you dare fucking _argue_ with me that you’re not, because I know you _are_ , I can still smell it on you – you would be better off in a safe house until the storm is over.”

“You know that’s not going to happen.” The omega countered. “I can’t leave.”

Gabriel raised his hands in defeat, “I know you’re determined to get crucified out there, but it doesn’t mean I can’t be concerned. I want our kid to have a good fighting chance.”

The blonde ran his hand over his abdomen, irritated with his mate.  

“I’m not going to run away.” He argued, putting his foot down on the subject all together, as he always does. “I want answers from you.”

Knowing when his mate won’t budge on the subject, Gabriel approaches him and doesn’t miss the flinch when he runs the back of his fingers along Jack’s upper arm.

The intimate touch somehow burns through Jack’s clothing and he takes a step away from his mate.

“You never tell me anything anymore; always leaving me in the dark. I want to trust you Gabi, I really do…but what you say and what you do are two separate things these days.” The blonde was almost backed up to the door. “How come you never wear your wedding ring anymore?”

Gabriel has the audacity to laugh.

Jack baulks.

“Out of everything, _everything_ going on, you ask me _that_?! Christ, Jackie, I took it off when you broke my fucking heart and pissed off to god knows where.” Gabriel runs his hand down his face, shaking, “How can I wear it when we’re at each other’s throats 90% of the time?”

“I never took off mine.” Jack bristles.

“You’re a romantic.” Gabriel motions at the omega’s hand. “Perhaps if we get back together, and I mean actually together and not _fucking_ or _playing house_ , we can try this again. Try again for our kid. I still love you, but how can I wear that when all it reminds me of is who we _were_? It’s depressing.”

“What do you mean _if_? You’re it for me.” The blonde’s head is spinning as he tries to right himself. He regrets even asking and escalating their conversation. He holds up a hand, “You know, don’t answer that. Your insanity is rubbing off on me.”

“Good. You could use a bit more personality these days.” The alpha gruffs. “I’m not in a mood for answering your questions, by the way, so you might as well scamper off.”

There are many unsavory names on the tip of Jack’s tongue, but he somehow reigns himself in. “I changed the codes to my room. From now on, you’ll need to knock like _everyone else_.”

Gabriel’s lip twitches in irritation. “Go play the puppet, Morrison. I have actual battles to win instead of playing paper jockey all day.”

Jack growled, teeth barred, “Why are you so _frustrating_?!”

“ _I’m_ frustrating?” the alpha growled back. “You broke into my room!”

The blonde approached his husband and forcefully grabbed his hand, shoving the ring into the other man’s palm. Gabriel’s lips thinned as he looked down at the precious metal.

“If you still want to give this a shot and work with me, _wear it_. Wear it and talk to me about what is actually going on instead of keeping me in the dark about everything that you're doing. I've trusted you blindly for so long, trusted you to have my back, but now I need the truth. That’s our first step, _got it?_ ”

Gabriel stares at the ring for a few moments before looking up into Jack’s ocean blue yes, “Anything else?”

The blonde leans forward to bite lightly at Gabriel’s bond mark at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, causing the other man to gasp.  It is hard enough to pose as a warning, but light enough to remind the mates who they belong to. With some difficulty, Jack Morrison nearly begs, “ _Please_?”

Gabriel closes his eyes, “No promises.”

Jack leaves without another word, his heart hammering in his chest.

His older mate watches him go, feeling much the same way.

*

A week goes by like a mindless blur.

With Gabriel gone, Jack is left to the mounds of paperwork to fill and file, and meetings to attend where more concerns were brought forward, more restrictions laid out, and more negative press discussed.

He misses Ana.

Misses Reinhardt's jubilant attitude and Torbjorn's family talking shop with him.

He also misses his mate.

There are some days he finds himself tuning out the chatter to glance out the window and wish he were free of this mess.

Clean hands unmarred by scars or blood.

Many days where Gabriel’s offer to run away shine more appealingly than his medals and awards (which mean next to nothing to the media and public anymore).

He wonders more often than not, what the hell he is doing.

If he is still a good soldier.

*

It is late in the evening and even Jack’s enhanced eyes are tired from reading and scanning through each report on his desk. He has been at it for hours now with no end in sight.

Another all-nighter.

A quick rap on the door pulls him from his thoughts and a familiar tall figure enters through the doorway.

 “Jesse?”

The Blackwatch agent looked uncomfortable while he closed the door and pushed in the lock. Jack stiffens as his eyes scan the alpha and notices the marks of restlessness and nervousness evident in his body language. His scent is mildly off and the omega wonders if it’s due to his recent return from his mission with Reyes or if something else has him shaken.

“I, uh…I wanted to apologize the other night for botherin’ your nose. Forgot how sensitive you are with the smoke.  How’re you feelin’?” He has his hands on his hips, but his fingers seem twitchy and unsure.

Jack doesn’t miss any of the cues. “I’m doing better, thanks, Jesse. Why don’t you have a seat? Is everything okay?” The blonde glances subtly at the door and then back to the younger alpha.

Something wasn’t right.

Jesse looks grateful as he sits across from the Strike Commander. He takes off his hat and runs his fingers through his messy brown hair, smoothing it back as he takes in a steady breath. It is apparent he hadn’t fit in a shower between the time he got off the transport and made it to Morrison’s office. He is still somewhat sweaty and dirtied from the mission, but it suits his ruggedly handsome looks.

The omega watches him patiently before prompting, “Is everything okay? How did the mission go?”

“Long. A little rowdy with the locals, but it’s-“ Jesse’s brows crease as his shoulders tighten, “Commander, I need to level with you on somethin’. It’s been botherin’ me for weeks now and I can’t be a dishonest man to you. I don’t have much time to spit it out.”

Jack leans forward in his seat, arms resting and hands folded on his desk. “What’s going on?”

“I’m- I’m leavin’ tonight.”

The blonde’s brows raised, “ _Leaving_?”

He shouldn't have been surprised, but the hurt was still evident. 

“My stuff is already packed ‘n waitin for me and I got a ride to catch in a few minutes. There have been enough rumors about the UN wantin’ to do a full investigation of every agent and I can’t…I won’t make it through, from my past alone with Deadlock.” Jesse stated with a slight shake to his voice, “They’re out for blood and I’ll be damned if they lock me away. I was only followin’ orders and I won’t take the fall for it.”

Jack isn’t sure what to say.

“I felt I owed it to ya to be truthful. I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but you’ve been good to me and I’m grateful for that. Even when I was a scrap of a man with a rotten attitude, you saw me for who I was, Jack.”

“Where are you going?” the omega asked with a coil in his stomach.

Jesse sighed, “I’m sorry but I can’t- I can’t tell you where ‘m goin. I don’t trust these walls anymore; everyone listenin’ in. Did you know I found a few bugs in my room before I left the mission? Checked them over and they weren’t Overwatch issued.”

Unfortunately, the omega isn’t surprised. He has found enough devices in his room over the past few months to fill a bucket.

The commander knew McCree wasn’t about to share any more details of what or where he was going. As much as it angered and hurt him to admit, he could understand why Jesse was jumping ship.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be stronger ‘n stay, Jack. But everything that’s going on? I can’t stay. I’m sorry for actin’ in a cowardly way, but the times are changin’.” Jesse stood up and took off his hat before extending his hand.

Jack went around his desk, taking Jesse's hand and pulling him into a hug. It went on a little longer than usual, but some of the weight seemed to leave Jesse's shoulder from the small display of affection. 

“Take care of yourself, Commander. It’s been a pleasure.”

“You too, Jesse.”

Jesse left as quickly as he had entered, gone before Jack could even sit back in his seat.

He wondered who else would leave.

Who else would abandon Overwatch?

Abandon _him_?

*

Gabriel stormed into the Strike Commander’s office early the next morning.

(To which Jack was thankful he still wasn’t passed out on his desk, as he had been there all night with nothing but a few catnaps and a cup of stagnant cold tea in an attempt to get some paperwork and reports done.)

The alpha rages that Jesse McCree and a few of his other Blackwatch men have fled the institution and swears to hunt them down. He is most upset about Jesse, whom he had taken in and vouched for since the very beginning. Jack isn’t surprised that Gabriel had been in the dark about McCree’s decision to desert them. Agents had been handing in their resignation forms for weeks now as the press and public became more adamant for Overwatch’s shutdown.

“We’re not hunting anyone down.” Jack grumbles as he sorts papers, ignoring the pacing of his mate around his office. The omega is exhausted with the lack of sleep, his hormones, and the incessant hunger. He feels terrible, but there is too much work to be done.

“What if they go to the press?”

“They signed confidentiality reports. Besides, I doubt your men would snitch. If anything, they’ll be in hiding until this all blows over.” The omega points out, although he knows the media has its own ways of finding former employees and digging away at their versions of the truth. More and more was being released and it disturbed and frustrated Jack more than he cared to admit.

“Fucking cowards.” Gabriel muttered darkly.

Jack rolled his eyes, “Wasn’t it _you_ that was telling me to get to a safe house a week or so ago? For godssakes Gabi, you can’t blame them. If you really wanted to chase them down, how come you haven’t gone after the other agents who’ve left as well? They have their reasons.”

The alpha continued to pace, seemingly trying to simmer down. He was stinking up the office with his annoyed scent, cloying Jack’s own concentration.

It continued on for another five minutes.

Gabriel pacing heatedly.

Jack trying to focus on his reports.

It was the rumble from Jack’s stomach that gave pause to Gabe. He halted and looked to his mate; _really_ taking in his mate’s appearance for the first time since barging into the office.

“Did you _sleep_ here last night?” he squinted at the shadows under Jack’s eyes. “Have you even _eaten_?”

The blonde was irritated. “I’ll tell you once you start answering my questions about all these allegations of you canoodling with terrorists. You’ve still been ignoring me on that subject, _babe_.”

Gabriel sniffed in agitation, denying again that anything illegal was going on. He had admitted to bending the rules before, but swore that the orders he gave were with the public’s interest in mind.

Still, the idea of ‘choosing a lesser evil’ didn’t sit well with the Strike Commander.

He voices as much, and in true fashion, the pair of them squabble back and forth while Jack tries to write off some reports and Gabriel criticizes Jack’s coping mechanisms and obsession to be in control of every situation.

Eventually Jack tunes him out, essentially ignoring him in favor of getting work, _real work_ , done.

The alpha knows he’s being disregarded and stares down his mate until Jack glances at him with a raised twitching brow.

The blonde’s stomach grumbles loudly enough to echo in the room.

Gabriel storms out then, but comes back in 20 minutes later with three breakfast sandwiches, a bottle of Gatorade, and a package of mixed fruit. He sets it on Jack’s desk.

“ _Eat_.”

Jack thins his lips, huffs a sigh.

“It’s for _both_ of you. Now stop being stubborn and _eat_.” He points his finger down on the desk, enough so to rattle the wood.

The omega’s rumbling stomach betrays him and he ends up pausing to devour all of the food while his mate watches from the chair across from him.

His alpha is pleased to see him obey and in some ways, knowing he satisfied his mate, is brings Jack to a mildly content place, too.

If only for a little while.

*

After the incident, Jack begins finding snacks and MRE packs on his desk.

He knows Gabriel is still upset with him about a laundry list of issues, but the alpha was giving into his urges to _provide_ and nurture his pregnant mate.

It was the darker skinned man’s own small way of still saying ‘ _I love you._ ’, and the snacks and food brought up Jack’s spirits enough to bring a small smile to his face.  

_They were still mates._

*

After another grueling day working with the council, Jack comes home to the quiet of his apartment. He showers first, basking in the heat as his hand rubs against his midsection.

He is still all laced with muscle and strength, but the barest hint of a curve has appeared.

No one else would notice it, not even if he were to lay down flat, but Jack and his heightened senses cause for more awareness than the average person. He knows the tiny curve is the existence of his child and he revels in the small sign of growth.

He wants to show Gabriel, but his mate has left for a conference or mission.

_(Jack never knew anymore, his mate refusing to say)._

After showering, he dresses in sweatpants and one of Gabriel’s old sweatshirts he had left behind.

He is stretching when the slightest disturbance has him freezing.

“Typically people knock before coming inside.” He calls out as he turns into the kitchen.

Ana is sitting on the counter, sipping a fresh brewed cup of tea while still wearing her full uniform. “I was out of jasmine and you’re about the only one around here who has a decent collection to pick from.”

Jack moves forward and embraces her, hugging her and pushing his face against her neck, filling his senses with the comfort of family and friend.

Ana smiles softly.

“I missed you too, _habibi_.” She whispers back, “Your mate has already told me that you are expecting a little one this winter. I am so happy for you, but your timing is awful.”

Jack leans back in surprise, “You spoke with _Gabriel_?”

Ana grins widely, “He is concerned for you and the baby. I came as soon as I could to check on you.” She pushed some of his wet blonde hairs back. “He also wants me to convince you to leave here.”

The omega snorted, “So he recruited you for the job? Called in the big guns?”

“I wouldn’t take it, of course.” Ana gives him a knowing look as she hops off of the counter and leads Jack into the living room. “I also debugged your kitchen for you. Can you believe they would go so far as to put one under your spice rack?”

“Anything they put in here gets disrupted by an emitter I installed. Compliments of Prescott in R&D.” Jack sits on the opposite side of the couch to watch the older omega.

It feels good to finally have Ana back in their graces.

“I’m assuming you won’t want a baby shower.” Ana points out as she motions to Jack’s stomach.

The omega blushes, “This is so far out of my realm, Ana. I’m going to need all the help I can get. I haven’t even _though_ t about names or cribs or all of the normal things you’re supposed to.”

“I know the feeling.” She reminds him, “When I was expecting Fareeha, I didn’t think it would work. The man I had mated with at the time was in a separate military unit and although he was supportive, I knew I would be raising her mostly on my own. I was scared at first, but I had an uncomplicated pregnancy and a beautiful child to show for it.”

“Fara would chide you for speaking so wistfully of her.” Jack snorts as he thinks of Ana’s daughter, who was so much his family as he watched her grow and was there for so many milestones. He thinks fondly of his ‘niece’ and of the special relationship Ana and her daughter shared, even through all of the hardships.

“I’m allowed to be sentimental.” Ana smacks lightly at Jack’s arm, “What I am saying is…although everything seemed impossible at first, I was able to push through. Yes, Fara and I have had our differences and arguments over the years, but she has brought great joy into my life. I know that you and Gabriel will somehow make things work for the sake of this little one. And if it doesn’t, you and your child will have each other.”

The younger omega took in her words carefully, imagining how his future could play out. In every scenario, he hoped Gabriel would be at his side in some shape or form.

“Do not worry about the material things; you will have all that you need and more. You have loved ones, Jack, and we will watch over you and the child. You’re never without.” Her words were gentle, as if approaching a spooked deer in the forest. She rested her hand over his, where their arms were draped over the back of the couch.

The blonde is quiet for a moment, brows creased with hurt. “Jesse fled almost two weeks ago. More and more agents have been turning in their resignation forms and fleeing.”

Ana squeezes his hand and scoots forward, her other hand resting along the side of his face, “I would never desert you, _habibi_. Please know that I will always protect you, no matter what.”

Jack leans forward and rests his head against her shoulder, comforted by his closest and dearest friend.

They stay close to one another, finding security in each other’s presence for as long as they can.

She only stays for a few hours, asking Jack about his symptoms and fussing over him like an older sister. The blonde goes so far as to allow her to feel his stomach where she smiles warmly towards him and presses a kiss to his forehead. 

When she leaves, Jack’s chest clenches as a plea for her to stay sits at the tip of his tongue.

He knows the other omega is working hard with her own missions and agenda, but it doesn’t make the ache any less. Ana is as dedicated as himself, and he is grateful for the time she did take to check on him and calm his fears.

He appreciates the window of time to forget about his duties as Strike Commander.

He appreciates the time to just be _Jack Morrison_.

*

Two weeks later marked the beginning of the end.

Jack led a combat operation against Talon, who had been linked as the captors of a missing number of scientists. It had been a long and grueling operation to locate the scientists and trace the leads to a Talon base of operations.

Ana was first on board to help the Strike Commander as they assembled a team and moved out to surround the base, take down the Talon agents, and rescue the hostages.

For all intents and purposes, the mission was going to run as smoothly as possible. They had arranged the best of the best, and had staked out the base as carefully and painstakingly as they could.

The mission had gone on without a hitch. They had rescued the scientists and were nearing the end, seemingly with a positive outcome in sight.

Still, Jack felt something was wrong as soon as the enemy sniper began taking down his soldiers.

He was frantic in dread, yelling into the communicator for Ana to cover them as he tried to save his people and get the hostages to safety.

The world was turning upside down, dizzying, while Jack righted himself and tried to keep the integrity of the mission from being compromised, even as his agents fell one by one.

When Ana clicked off her communicator, Jack knew.

As he got on to the transport, dragging two of the bodies of his men in gasping motions, he knew.

When he heard the loud, unmistakable sound of the enemy sniper firing one last time, he _knew_.

*

They had searched for her body, for any whereabouts of Ana for days until they proclaimed her killed in action. They had recovered her broken sniper rifle and bloodied clothing, but no body. The evidence was enough.

Talon must have taken her remains as there was no way she could’ve survived the gunshot that had pierced through her sniper scope and through her eye and brain. There was too much gore left at the battle scene to presume anything else.

A quick, bloody death.

 In that time, Jack was herded into meeting after meeting as the news outlets had decided to air what had happened in the operation and how the Strike Commander had failed and caused the unwarranted deaths of four Overwatch agents and one of the acclaimed scientists.

Jack sits in the meetings and has stopped wondering what he could’ve done different…what he could’ve said or changed to have given them a better outcome.

He is numb for days as he tries to process everything in his grief.

Angela comes and goes from his quarters and his office, checking in on him and ensuring he eats while Gabriel is still away on an almost month-long anti-Talon operation.

After Ana had been announced KIA, Jack was given her hat that was recovered at the site.

His thumb runs over the golden eagle at the front of the blue hat, ignoring the deeper red-brown stains of dried blood.

_I would never desert you, habibi._

*

*

*

By Ana’s request, her funeral is a small affair of close friends as she is given a memorial service to honor her life and contributions to the safety of the world. There is no body to bury, but a plaque is given to the ground bearing her name instead.

Jack reads her eulogy and shares fond memories of his closest friend, feeling too much like a performer in a macabre play than a man at his best friend’s funeral. He struggles to get through the speech, but seeing Fareeha’s face amongst the mourners somehow gets him through it.

He still blames himself for what happened.

_He should’ve provided more cover, should’ve been more careful, should’ve cleared the perimeter more carefully…_

Ana’s blood is on his hands.

It is difficult to look out in the small crowd and see Reinhardt’s grief and Lena’s tears as she hugs the older man and offers him comfort alongside Angela.

He has a hard time approaching Fareeha and offering his condolences. She shakes her head when he tries to speak and brings him in to a hug.

“Mother would scold you for apologizing.” She tells him directly, “And I would, too. She is at peace, dying for what she _loved_. The soldier’s death she always wanted.”

There is bitterness in her words; laced with the truth and the quiet admission that she had always known this day would come. Fareeha and her mother were not exactly on the best speaking terms before her death, but the love was still alive between them.

“Take care of yourself, kiddo.” Jack hugs her again and recalls a time when she was a small, powerful little thing wearing her _gi_ and practicing her self-defense moves on Gabriel while Ana and Jack looked on, laughing “Your mother may not have wanted you to be a soldier, but you know Gabriel and I are proud of you.”

She smiled warmly, looking like a spitting image of her mother. She had joined the Egyptian Army and had been moving up the ranks fast. Jack knew without a doubt that she would be a strong and effective leader one day.

Jack’s chest clenched as he looked to her and the tattoo underneath her eye, a striking mirror image of the one her mother bore for years.

“It is an _udjat_. The eye of Horus.” Fareeha taps the new ink when she spots Jack staring, “It is for protection.”

“I hope it will do just that for you. It did for your mother, for so many years. She was the best soldier I knew, and it was an honor to serve beside her.”

Fareeha allows a soft, fond smile to reach her lips, “Thank you, Jack. She would’ve loved to hear that. I think she felt the same way…”

The two stood next to each other, looking out to the cemetery where hundreds of soldiers had also found their final resting place.

*

Gabriel came back a week after the funeral, knocking on Jack’s door as the omega had requested long ago. The blonde answered it tiredly, having been sleeping on the couch and thinking the visitor was Angela again to poke and prod at him. 

He freezes for a moment, long enough for them to both take in the sight of his scarred mate standing in the doorway, his right arm leaning against the support.

“You’re back.” Jack moves aside, lets his alpha in and doesn’t care that the other man still smells like gun smoke and sweat.

“Complete radio silence. I came back as soon as I could.” The older man runs his hands up and down the omega’s arms, a small affectionate display that has Jack’s heart racing and aching at the same time.

With everything going on, the omega forgot how much he _needed_ his mate. 

The comfort and weight of him present.

Overwhelmed, Jack wraps his arms around his lover, pulling him in to a deep kiss. The alpha is surprised at first, but melts into the passion seamlessly. The door shuts behind them and Jack is unrelenting as his tongue begs access and the alpha submits.

The omega doesn’t want to talk; doesn’t want to ask where Gabriel has been on his mission, what he has been up to, or why he didn’t come home sooner.

In this moment, he doesn’t _care_.

He’s brokenhearted, tired of hurting; all he yearns for is to feel some semblance of _whole_ and _complete_. There is no better place or person than _Gabriel_ to help him forget his grief and find comfort.

“Jack..?” the older man steadies his mate when the omega tries to pull him back towards the bedroom.

“I need you.” Jack implores as his hands run over Gabriel’s broad chest. “I’m _tired_ of talking. I miss you…miss your scent. I need you to mark me again. It feels like it's been forever.”

His words are without the deep sensuality Gabriel is familiar with.

The words are filled with pleading and ache, and the alpha is not one to deny his mate.

He lifts Jack expertly, allowing the omega to wrap his legs around his waist as he walks them to the bedroom. The blonde kisses and scent marks his alpha along the way, ignoring the faint traces of smoke, blood, and sweat on his skin. They are all smells he has grown used to over the years in their line of work. 

The omega kisses along his alpha’s neck, behind Gabe’s pierced ears, over his forehead, through the soft curls at the top of his head and shaved sides.

Gabriel undresses his mate carefully; notices that Jack isn’t wearing the scent suppressant patches and the enticing pheromones he smells are of his _pregnant_  omega.

He wants to comment on how perfect the blonde smells, but this isn’t about whispering words to one another or declaring their love verbally. Jack needs the comforting solidarity of his mate to drown out the grief and sorrow that have been wracking his body for days. 

The alpha kisses down Jack’s body, pausing to lavish his nipples adoringly when the blonde keens high in his throat and pants through the new sensitivity. The darker skinned man flicks his tongue over a hardened nub while his mate's breathing picks up from the intensity of the onslaught on his chest. 

Gabriel’s hand roams down his stomach and pauses at his abdomen where a clear, small curve has grown.

“Is that-?” he ventures, quietly. His brows crease as he catches the sight of Jack's nude torso from the low lamplight. 

Jack nods, “I’m almost 4 months, Gabe. Angela said he’s the size of an apple already.”

“ _He_?”

“Found out two days ago.” Jack pulls Gabriel back up to level with one another. "We're having a _son_." The omega runs his fingers over Gabriel's muscled chest, feeling thrilled by the sight of the older man's tattoos and dusting of chest hair. He had always loved the ruggedness of his mate.

Gabriel runs a hand smoothly down the side of jack's face, " _Mi sol.._."

" _Mi luna_..." Jack whispers back, overcome as his throat wells with emotion. 

They kiss again, both of their hearts beating loudly in their chests as they rut against each other. Jack gasps, eyes rolling to the back of his head when his mate sneaks a finger lower to play at his slick-coated entrance while the omega undulates his hips, seeking friction where his alpha abides.

For the first time Jack could remember since their fallout, they join together like they used to, long ago.

Gone is the low thrum of anger or irritation; instead replaced by the old emotions of need and affection. Although they are both hurting over the loss of Ana, the reminder that they are still _mates_ and still connected to one another offers some shelter from the storm.

Nothing is brought up about Overwatch or their differences.

They do not discuss it at all.

Jack takes his alpha deep, crying out in his room as they rock together and run their hands over each other’s sweat slick bodies. The pregnant omega’s hormones sing from his mate’s attention and his orgasms pull him into a needy, gasping mess. Tears escape the sides of his eyes, but Gabriel does not ask if it is from the pleasure or the _pain_.

They have each other; _take_ each other, and this is enough.

Gabriel grinds his knot down against Jack's prostate, reveling in the deep groans he pulls from his mate as the blonde quakes beneath him, voice high in his throat as ecstasy consumes him. If anything, the pregnancy hormones make everything all the more intense as Gabe steadies his mate from behind, arm wrapped around in the front to pinch one of Jack's nipples. His other hand holds the base of his cock to help grind his knot deep and push jack to take _everything_ he can give him.

By the end of another orgasm, Jack's whole body feels like an overheated, tingling mess. 

As their lovemaking slows down from their exhaustion and sated want, the darker skinned man gathers his lover into his arms and holds him close against his muscled physique. He kisses over the side of Jack’s face as the omega wraps his right arm around Gabriel’s chest and pushes his face in the juncture of the alpha’s neck and shoulder to breathe in his scent.

The Blackwatch commander runs his left hand over Jack’s right.

The alpha wears his wedding ring.

*

By the morning when Jack wakes up, he is unsurprised to find his mate gone. He sighs and turns into Gabriel’s pillow to inhale his mate’s lingering smell.

His hand runs over the sting of fresh bite marks along his shoulder. 

He doesn’t ache in hurt from Gabriel’s absence as strongly as he did in the past.

He is just happy to have had him for the time he could without prying eyes or suits or mission reports to fog his mind.

For now, it is enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for hanging in there~! <3 I know in canon, Ana didn’t know Widowmaker was Amelie until she took off the helmet, but I changed a little for this story. My apologies! If you haven't, go check out the Legacy comic which highlights what happened on that 'last' mission.  
> [Legacy Comic](https://comic.playoverwatch.com/issues/overwatch/7/en-us/pdf/comic-overwatch-ana.pdf%20)  
> Come say hi! :)  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	4. Affliction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alpha wonders who his son will take after more; wonders if their son will inherit his nose or Jack’s strong chin.  
> Or if he will inherit both his and Jack’s stubbornness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for discussion of unhealthy dealings with depression and grief, some graphic violence, and blood.  
> *No beta, so all mistakes are my own!

It was difficult to leave his mate.

Jack Reyes-Morrison ( _the media rarely included his full last name_ ) doesn’t sleep like an angel as many would believe. The blonde sprawls out when he’s warm, hogs all the blankets when he’s cold, and seems to always lightly drool on his pillow

Despite all of the enhancements and training to make him the perfect killing machine, the _perfect soldier_ , the man still sleeps like the awkward Midwestern recruit Gabe knew him to be all those years ago.  

It’s a trait Gabriel has always found slightly endearing, even though waking up with drool on _his_ side of the bed had left him more than a little annoyed in the past.

However, one look at his husband, and the irritation would melt.

He has only rested for an hour, laying with the omega in a post-coital closeness as the younger man clung to him tightly. As soon as the alpha’s knot had slipped from his pregnant mate, he repositioned them carefully, propping himself up on his elbow while one arm draped protectively over the omega’s midsection.

_A son._

_My son._

The alpha wonders who his son will take after more; wonders if their son will inherit his nose or Jack’s strong chin.

Or if he will inherit both his _and_ Jack’s stubbornness.

Of all the timing in the world, their son of course decides to enter their lives when they are barely keeping themselves and the _world_ together.

He runs his fingers through Jack’s golden hair, never missing the gathering of white strands littered throughout the locks, even at the back of his head where his stubborn cowlick sticks up.

Gabriel’s hand buzzes with energy as he feels Jack’s heartbeat beneath his skin.

He imagines Jack, _his_ Jack, with his throat slit and his blood on Gabriel’s hands. How easy it would be to drain that heartbeat away with one slice.

The image flashes so abruptly, it jars the alpha’s hand back.

The tell-tale thrum in his temples indicates he has overstayed.

It is time to leave.

Jack is too exhausted to stir as Gabriel extricates himself from the bed, pulls the blanket over him, and redresses in silence.

He’s never proud of leaving his omega, but there are bigger things going on than just their small stolen trysts.

Sacrifices need to be made.

He thinks forlornly of Ana, and of her own sacrifices.

_Ba-dum._

He leaves Jack’s room with the heavy beating of his heart echoing in his ears and the pain in his head. His mind keeps drifting to the glow of Jack’s skin in the darkness and how easy it could be to steal it all away.

_Ba-dum._

He passes a few agents in the darkness of night. They nod towards Gabriel, eyes kept low, giving him a wide berth as his heavy boots echo down the halls.

_Ba-dum._

They are afraid of him.

_Ba-dum._

Most people are fearful of him now; they speak behind his back of all the treacherous things Blackwatch has done. Gabriel merely frowns and brushes their words away. Most have never had to make the difficult choices; the sacrifices in order to retain a semblance of normalcy and ‘peace’.

Peace.

He despises the word.

The alpha believes it is the universal delusion of the human race to think of peace. There will always be those who fester with anger and afflictions; there will always be those to take advantage of others, human or machine.

_Ba-dum._

He has sacrificed _so much_ to ensure the challenging missions were a success. Has shed enough blood and dismantled enough terrorist operations.

Ripped apart enough lives.

_Ba-dum._

His heartbeat grows louder and more pressing, his stomach coiling as he makes it back into his quarters. He goes straight to his bedroom, digging into the small cooler underneath where medicinal gold serum glows in the dim lighting.

He takes one and injects it into his arm. It stings at first; feels like cold water rushing through his veins to diminish the darkening tendrils that rattle underneath his skin.

Taking five deep breathes, he waits a few second before administering another, and then…another.

His heartbeat settles, the migraine receding once again like a beast recoiling from the light.

He sits slumped over on his bed, elbows resting on his legs as he steadies his heart and mind from the shadows.

It has been getting worse.

Ever since the failed mission in Brazil.

_Ever since-_

Gabriel looks up to his reflection. Across the room, his image gazes back from the full-length mirror, a sharp bloodied toothed smile plastered on his askewed face, eyes red and veins blackened around the sockets.

He gasps, closes his eyes, and thinks he is going crazy again with the hunger that alights his skin.

It is worse when he sleeps-

When he battles-

When there is blood and gun smoke-

The failed, classified mission to Brazil and all of the falsified information he had sent over in order to keep himself safe. Looking back, he believe he has sealed his fate to descend into the depths of hell. All of the lies, all of the cover-ups in order to keep back this _thing_ he was becoming.

The older man worries about their child. Will his son be affected by whatever _this_ is?

He almost regrets lying from the beginning.

He had done it to keep himself safe; had lied to keep himself from turning into a lab rat again.

He wanted to keep Jack safe as well; keep him away from what he was turning into.

_Of what he has become._

When he glances back up, the nightmare has vanished. 

Instead he sees the Blackwatch Commander staring back at him, eyes frenzied and breath uneven with fear.

*

Gabriel’s arrival home from his last mission also signaled a series of long hours spent in debriefing and interrogation. Every word in his report was questioned by the council as they nitpicked over all of his apparent ‘mistakes’ and decisions.

It is evident to everyone at the table that there is no trust in the Blackwatch Commander.

Most of all to Gabriel himself.

It is miserable for Jack to sit across from his mate and try to be present in the moment to support him when all he can dwell on is Ana’s recent death, his progressing pregnancy, and the fact that his mate once again feels like miles away.

There is irritation souring the air, making him nauseous.

He wants to believe in his husband and console him, but the firm tightness in Gabriel’s jaw and posture tells him that after this meeting is over, the alpha is best left alone to sort through his thoughts.

Sure enough, as the meeting adjourns, Gabriel is up and out without so much as a glance towards his mate.

The blonde watches him go helplessly.

Jack could deal with Gabriel’s absence after sex, but to avoid him outside of private quarters seemed like a low-blow. Angela has pestered the omega time and time again to pull away from the stressors in his life, but there is nothing he can do.

He is the leader of Overwatch and Gabriel is his mate.

Both seem to be falling apart without care for his ‘condition’ or well-being.

Jack feels selfish and ashamed of himself for feeling this way when he knows there are bigger things going on beside his relationship.

*

Despite the feeling of a divide between them, Gabriel is still unrelenting in making sure Jack eats. It started up slowly with the MRE packs on Jack’s desk, to which the blonde huffed and ignored them 75% of the time when he had to choose the paperwork instead.

Sam greets Jack nervously when he passes by, which should be the first red flag.

The second red flag is the fact that all of his paperwork and reports have been shoved to the side and his desk cleared, except for a heaping plate of breakfast food.

“ _Buenos dias, mi amor_.” Gabriel nods towards the food. “Eat up.”

The older man is sitting back on an office chair, eyeing his fair-skinned lover expectantly.

The omega’s mouth twists in exasperation and it is on the tip of the tongue to chew him out for practically _ignoring_ him for days, but his stomach is rumbling and the bagel did little to quell it. He knows he should be eating double his usual amount, but it had yet to happen.

“Angela said you’re not at a goal weight, so naturally we need to remedy that.” Gabriel watched the blonde carefully as Jack lowered himself in his chair, hand rubbing at his sore back. It was growing increasingly more difficult to hide the pregnancy underneath the discreetly tailored shirts and jackets.

“Haven’t been hungry.” Jack grumbled as he began to pick at the eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns. “Isn’t this a little…excessive?”

“It’ll give me some peace of mind since I know you’ve been avoiding the MREs I’ve left you. You’re eating for a mini super soldier and could use all the calories. Hop to it, _Commander_.”

Rolling his eyes, he amends that the food does indeed smell good. He begins eating while Gabriel observes him, ensuring that every bite on the plate is eaten until the alpha is satisfied that his mate is full.

“Have you thought of names? I know I said I wanted to wait until they’re born, but I’m curious if you’ve thought about it anymore.” Jack asks in-between bites.

They’ve barely talked about the arrangements that will need to be made once their son is born. There is enough going on in their institution that any talk of personal lives have fallen to the wayside.

“My mom’s side was Catholic and named my sisters and I after figures from her religion. It would make her and my _abuela_ happy to continue that tradition.”

Jack hummed, considering the Bible as a source for names, though he hadn’t picked one up for years. “We could do that. I also decided I’d like to relocate somewhere warmer and quieter when he’s born. I wanted to take a four month leave.”

“Good luck getting the council to _approve_ that.” Gabriel sniffs.

“It’ll be hard with Ana- with Ana gone.” Jack cleared his throat. “I’m not sure if I even have a second-in-command? So many of our agents have turned in their resignation papers.”

“We’ll sort the details when we can.” Gabriel tried to reel Jack away from the negative thoughts. “We could always send him to stay with your sister or my family if need be. He’ll be safe.”

“He’s safer with us.” The blonde disagreed.

“Maybe five years ago. Now? I doubt it.”

Jack sits back and sighs deeply, his hand running over his stomach. His breakfast is finished, but the omega isn’t patting his stomach in contentment.

“You okay?”

Jack glanced over at his mate and signaled for him to move closer. He gripped Gabriel’s hand and placed it tentatively under his shirt, on the warm golden skin below where the alpha could _feel_ the wiggling, fluttering movements.

The alpha doesn’t need to ask.

_He knows._

For the first time in a long while, a true smile spreads across his full lips as he leans next to his mate.

“I think it was the saltiness of the bacon. He gets like this after I eat, especially sugary stuff.” The omega explains with a fond smile of his own. He looks down to where Gabriel’s hand remains and notes that his stomach is not the round softness one is used to on pregnant omegas. With all of his hardened muscles and the serum, his stomach appears smaller than average. Angela had already reassured him that from the ultrasound, the baby was perfectly healthy and within normal ranges.

Gabriel moves forward slightly, pulling his mate into a kiss.

Touch-starved and aching for affection, the omega wraps his arms around the older man’s neck. It is easy for Gabriel to use his strength to pick up his lover and push him back against the desk, their innocent kiss turning deep and filthy when his fingers dig into the blonde’s ass.

Jack moans.

“Isn’t this where I bred you full with my cum months ago?” Gabriel whispers huskily. “I think of it every time I come into your office; how wet and needy you were for my knot.”

The omega isn’t embarrassed by the low whine that escapes his mouth when Gabriel licks and nips at his neck. It all feels so good; always feel just _right_ when Reyes works him over and plays his body like a perfectly tuned instrument.

The loud knock on the door doesn’t deter Gabriel.

“Commander Morrison? Ambassador Stricker is on line 3.” Sam’s unsure voice echoes from the other side of the unlocked door. “He said you have a video appointment at 9:00?”

“I’ll finger you while you talk to him.” Gabriel whispers lowly into his ear. “Imagine my tongue in your ass while talking politics.”

Jack’s face is a few deep shades of red. “Can I reschedule to 9:30?”

The alpha raises a brow.

“Actually, to 10:00?” Jack calls out, voice surprisingly level considering how wrecked he is feeling from the attention of his lover.

“The ambassador said it’s urgent, sir.” Sam coughs, “And Commander Reyes, you’re needed at the south wing. There’s a dispute that needs settling on upcoming mission requisites and they need your final say.”

The pair both groan as they inch away regretfully from one another. There is no escaping duties when they are both being summoned, and Jack knows the call with the ambassador of Canada is to smooth over ties.

“I’m sorry!” Sam pleads from the other side with his retreating footsteps.

Gabriel kisses the corner of Jack’s mouth, “I’ll come by after training, if I can.”

They know they cannot make promises to one another anymore. They are pulled into too many directions and getting their hopes up for a quiet night is beyond reach.

Jack nods sullenly as the comforting touch is removed and they right their clothing once again. The omega fixes his hair, a frown set once again on his face.

He doesn’t miss the death glare Sam receives as Gabriel exits his office, uncomfortable and in a foul mood once again.

At least Jack won’t have to walk across the compound while trying to conceal a frustrating hard-on.

*

At 5 months pregnant, Jack could barely contain the rounded bump of his midsection.

When too many questions were directed his way, he finally went to the council to notify them of his ‘predicament’, as well as giving them a strict piece of his mind.

To his surprise (and paranoia), the council didn’t seem too taken aback that their famed Strike Commander was with child. A remark was even made that they had been expecting it, what with Jack and Gabe being estranged for so long. It was no secret to the inner management that Jack Morrison was an omega, and as an omega, he would be having certain ‘ _needs_ ’.

“It was about time, now that you’re nearing your mid-30’s. We had a feeling your biological clock was ticking.” One had said.

Another, “You’re 5 months already? How could you keep this quiet?! Does Dr. Ziegler know?”

Jack was resolute about keeping the pregnancy, even though the council warned him the news would only be growing fodder for the media as they confirmed his designation and the true ‘dynamic’ he had with Gabriel. It was always assumed that they were an alpha-alpha pair.

In the face of everything going on, the blonde held his chin high and promised to continue serving and bettering Overwatch the best he could, despite the changes in his body.

He demanded a four month leave, which the council guaranteed they would grant once a second in command was named.

For now, the weight of Overwatch would remain on Jack’s shoulders, regardless of his situation. 

*

A few days later, the news of his pregnancy hit the press.

Jack watches the holotv in his office as a news reporter discusses the ‘shocking’ new information that had been revealed from old medical files that Jack Morrison was indeed an omega, and that the council confirmed he is, at present, expecting.

He knows he shouldn’t watch any of the filth on TV; much less the news, but knowing his name would be all over the place left him irrationally curious.

As to be expected, the insults and jokes roll in, and as Jack hears himself called every name under the sun, he grows more and more uncertain.

_“Breaking News: Overwatch’s bitch!”_

_“No wonder they chose an omega to lead. He’ll roll over and present for anything!”_

_“What was the government thinking in buffing up an omega like that? It’s not natural and specialists say that Morrison’s offspring may experience extreme side effects and possible malformations-“_

_“It’s speculated that Strike Commander Morrison could’ve purposely gotten pregnant in order to appease the people on his public image for a little bit of sympathy. Or perhaps it is to keep his debauched relationship with Blackwatch Commander Reyes together?”_

_“Omegas are not natural born leaders. It’s a biological fact. They just needed some sweet looking poster boy while the real work was being done by a more capable alpha. It’s no wonder they’re separated-”_

He turns the TV off and shoves the remains of his dinner in the trash bin.

He stands from his desk, paces around his office while feeling sick with dread.

The omega has overestimated himself.

_The words still burn._

*

“The baby looks good, Jack.” Angela tries to reassure him as she points at the screen where his son is wriggling around. “A strong heartbeat and normal size, across the board. Baby is in good health.”

Jack is already sitting up to wipe the gel from his swollen abdomen while Angela sets the wand away and turns to face him.

The omega keeps his head down.

“I cannot say the same for you.”

“I have a meeting at 11:00.” Jack supplies as he pulls on his shirt. Even though his pregnancy is well-known throughout base, he still does his best to keep it covered, as if embracing anything tight to show his midsection was actually exposing a weakness.

Angela gazes at his withered frame and frowns.

“Your weight is low and I can tell you’ve lost some of your muscle mass. I’m confident to say the child is absorbing more of the nutrients, and _you_ have _not_ been taking my advice on doubling your caloric intake. Have you been reading the pregnancy book I leant you?”

The older man pauses, sighing, “No, I haven’t. I’m sorry, Ang.”

It is a pathetic apology.

“It is crucial that you _eat_ , Jack. As you approach your third trimester, your body and the baby will need the extra fat for both of your safety. We haven’t even discussed your birthing plan and I’m very concerned about you going into early labor with all of the stress you’re putting yourself through.”

“ _I’m_ putting myself through?” Jack snarled and glared back at the doctor, nearly snapping at her.

Angela stiffened with a frown.

“Trust me, if I had a choice, I would be in the Bahamas by now drinking lemonade on a beach somewhere. I wouldn’t be _here_.”

“You do have a choice.” Angela reminded sternly. “And I could write you off for medical leave.”

“And then what? Leave you all to drown? It’s not happening.” Jack was in a sour mood, but the doctor wasn’t to be dismayed by it.

“I could go to the council.”

The omega looked up to her sharply.

“You are working nonstop. You are still dealing with the grief of Ana, the stress of your relationship with Gabriel, your pregnancy, and this diplomatic circus. I could put you on medical leave and push it through the council. They would approve of it, I know they would.”

“You wouldn’t-“

“Jack Morrison, I swear by the gods, if you do not take care of yourself, _I_ will take of you, and you will _not_ like it.”

Jack sighs and closes his eyes. He has been on edge for days.

“I also recommend you _stop_ watching the news and looking yourself up online. It isn’t healthy for you to read what they say about you. They don’t know you, Jack.” Angela adds in a softer tone.

“Don’t they, though?” Jack glowers.

The beta pinches the commander’s thigh, earning a yowl of pain as she sets her hands on her hips.

“ _Stop_.” Angela retrieves a white bottle from her desk and pops it open to hand it to her patient.  “I’m also prescribing you some prenatal ensure. I want you to drink at least 6 of these a days. If you will not _eat_ your calories, you will _drink_ them. I will have a case for you weekly.”

The omega bristles as he downs the 20 oz. bottle.

For all of her nagging and pushing, Angela would always be a _god send_.  

*

The Strike Commander thought things had been getting slightly better.

He thought he was on his way to settling conflicts and providing a better outlook for Overwatch.

Jack felt confident in his refusal to leave his position as he worked countless hours to smooth over ties with the UN and the International Justice Commission (IJC)

He thought he was making a difference, but it seemed there had been other cards in play.  

For weeks, _months_ , he had been doing nothing but his best to address all of the concerns, attend the meetings, fill out the paperwork, push through damage control, and try to provide what he thought were appropriate changes based on the recommendations of the UN.

However, deep down inside, Jack knew things have been crumbling; he had known since the first leaked footage and mission reports of Blackwatch’s missions were revealed to the public that this all wasn’t going to end smoothly.

_He had just hoped._

Prayed and wished and yearned and waited for some _positive change._

In one fell swoop, the UN and IJC representatives laid before him the new bill that would calm the public outcry, ensure peace, and put an end to all of the corruption within the once successful Overwatch initiative.

The Petras Act, named after William Petras, a global peace leader who had been killed on a failed Overwatch escort mission, would _end_ Overwatch.

The council continues to talk, but Jack tunes them out as he looks through the proposed act.

He feels sick as he realizes it is an international agreement that Overwatch will be disbanded and all activity related to, and in the name of Overwatch would be deemed illegal and liable to prosecution.

It hasn’t passed yet, but the council agrees with the UN and IJC to meet in Zurich to discuss the act and how to proceed.

“This isn’t right.” Jack argues as he sets the proposition down. “We’ve kept the world safe for _years_. My agents have been _heroes_!”

He feels cornered; he has been led into a trap.

“Heroes? There is no such thing as _heroes_ , Commander Morrison. We entrusted this initiative to you, and you have failed us.”

Jack is reeling from the news as his mind tries to process all of the scenarios; thinks of all of his personnel and how they will be affected.

“We are doing our best- we’ve made so many positive changes- we…” Jack’s brows furrow, “We pushed humanity through the Omnic Crisis. My agents have sacrificed everything for peace in this world.”

“You did, a long time ago, but those days are in the past. Overwatch is no longer needed.”

An IJC agent agrees, “The world doesn’t need crazed vigilantes or genetically enhanced persons making deals with other criminals. Your time of good has passed and Overwatch has since been nothing but a thorn in society’s side. You cannot honestly say Blackwatch has promoted peace or that your missions have been successful as of late?”

The omega stiffened in his seat. “What will happen to my agents if this passes?”

“Your agents will be dismissed and can pursue other careers. However, you’re asking the wrong questions. You should be more concerned about your own fate.” A UN member replied harshly.

Jack doesn’t need to wait for a reply as an Overwatch council member looks to him sympathetically, “The public is demanding a trial, Commander Morison. They want justice for those who have been killed or negatively affected by Overwatch and Blackwatch.”

“We are willing to negotiate some terms in order to ensure and secure the safety of your agents when the Act passes. Of course, if they commit any crimes after the fact, they will still be liable for prosecution.” A representative  pipes up.

He doesn’t miss the wording of the sentence.

His stomach churns as he realizes it isn’t a matter of if the act will pass, but _when_.

All eyes at the table are on him as he tries to keep his composure, though his ears ring with the sudden adrenaline to fight or flee. He swallows dryly and tries his best to maintain perfect posture even though everything feels like it is falling and dragging him down with it.

“Are you insinuating that I will be put on trial?” he questions, hands gripped in his lap.

A UN member clears her own throat, “The people want justice. If you agree to be put on trial and cooperate with us, we will work out some terms. The world has been speaking out, and you _are_ the leader of this organization, are you not?”

Jack nods rigidly.

“I recommend you assemble your legal team. The Petras Act will go through, and we are committed to answering the will of the people by any means necessary.” The UN representative advised.

“Any means necessary?” Jack echoes, disoriented.

There are tense and apprehensive glances around the boardroom.

They have left him in the dark.

“Commander Morrison, the public is calling for you to be court martialed, and we are committed to considering the request. We anticipate and recommend your full cooperation as we further investigate Overwatch and its founding members.” The UN representative stood up from her seat, the other members of the UN and IJC standing as well.

“We will be in touch and hope to see you in Zurich to further discuss the terms and agreements of the Petras Act.” a UN council member adds.

The meeting is dismissed, but Jack stays frozen in his seat, his gut twisting horribly as the news resonates throughout his being.

_This is the end of Overwatch._

*

He doesn’t sleep that night.

Instead, Jack wanders along the halls, thoughts a storm cloud in his mind as he tries to steer himself into smoother waters. When he makes it to his mate’s room, Gabriel is gone, _again_.

Jack can’t help but to feel bitter.

Gabriel should’ve _been_ at the meeting, but he had flown out of the country to pursue some leads on a Talon base.

Jack needs him, _needs his mate_ , but the alpha has abandoned him again.

Feeling frustrated, angry, and selfish, he overrides Gabriel’s code and barges into the pristine room. It is an invasion of privacy, but he could care less as he goes into his mate’s closet to steal an unlaundered dark grey hoodie.

If Gabriel cannot be present with him, then he will take what he can get.

Even if it _is_ something as small as a piece of clothing.

*

Over the next few days, Jack watches as the media grabs hold of information on the Petras Act and completely litters their content with discussions on Overwatch, Blackwatch, and said act. Jack Morrison’s impending arrest is a part of the rumors, as well.

All over the news, the public have been rallying to pass the act and see Overwatch dismantled. Posters have been ripped down, and the public monument bearing the Strike Commander (that Jack had been initially extremely embarrassed by) had been vandalized with omega slurs.

More than once, Jack wonders if he has been led blindly into this mess

He is angry at himself for being so hopeful and earnest in putting Overwatch’s name back on the public’s good side.

He wishes he could drown out the noise with a bottle of booze or find something to release his pent up energy, but he is confined to practicing on the training bots.

Although he is almost 6 months pregnant, he still moves seamlessly through his training. It takes him more time to balance and get used to the extra weight, but he is a soldier deep down and the one way to cover the anger and hurt is to exert himself into exhaustion.

Personnel steer clear of him.

*

He is at home when push comes to shove, and the UN finally exacts some of their power over him.

They are in need of ‘evidence’, and what better than the Strike Commander’s personal effects?

Wearing Gabriel’s hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, Jack watches helplessly as the UN officials begin ransacking his small apartment in the middle of the night.

They had purposely come when jack was least expecting it.

There is nothing he can do to stop it, as they came with the official search warrant and a warning that if he did not comply, he would be taken into custody. Both Sam and Angela had rushed to his room, trying to get there before the officials did to let him know, but it was too late.

They are held away from the Strike Commander as the omega watches his albums, paperwork, books, and tech get loaded into boxes for evidence.

They go so far as to empty all of his kitchen drawers, clothing drawers, and search every nook and cranny for any evidence that can be used against him.

Despite the blatant invasion of privacy, Jack keeps his head held high and his jaw clenched shut.

He complies.

Days before, he had already deleted all of his confidential secure lines. He has nothing left to hide from the UN or the council as he watches his items go in boxes.

The omega manages to maintain some semblance of dignity as his home is thrashed and his life is sealed away in closed containers.

When it is all over and he is acknowledged for his compliance as they leave, Angela and Sam are there to hold him up as he crumples to the ground.

In the back of the blonde’s mind, he cannot help but to wonder, again, why his mate has left him.

_I need you…._

_Where have you gone?_

_Why have you forsaken me?_

*

Jack knows deep down that he will be court martialed.

It would please the public and bring the people a sense of peace to see the once strong and capable leader of Overwatch tried for all of the misfortunes and misgivings of the institution. The meeting with the UN and IJC left nothing to his imagination.

Jack also knows Gabriel might be on the chopping block and he wonders, distantly, if the alpha has fled purposely. If Gabriel _knew_ and had jumped ship.

It leaves him little choice.

“I’ve already contacted my sister, Sarah. She said she can take him in when he’s born.” Jack had made the painful phone call last night through a secure line. His sister lived in a suburb in Indiana; a completely average life with an average husband and two kids. It was the perfect placement for his son.  “Once I go into labor, we can arrange to have her fly out to wherever the facility is so that she can take him once he’s been cleared by Dr. Ziegler and the medical team.”

Angela watches the exchange between the Strike Commander and his lawyer in silent pain.

It is hard to look upon the deep lines of exhaustion and defeat that mar the once bright, hopeful face.

Jack Morrison knows the end when he sees it, but he’ll be damned if he isn’t prepared for it.

“Any other wishes pertaining to your child?” the lawyer asks.

“I want Angela Ziegler to be his primary caregiver. We already know his genetics may be altered due to the enhancements, and we want to ensure his good health. Additionally, I don’t want the public knowing where he’s at. He deserves a quiet, _normal_ life.”

“We can ensure that.” There are a few more lines the lawyer fills out until he slips the contract across to the omega. Jack signs it quietly, feeling some relief that even though the outcome wouldn’t be in his favor, his son would at least grow up in a quiet suburb in Indiana with his cousins and an average family.

No Overwatch, no discussion of his parents in prison, no black cloud hovering over his head.

Jack doesn’t ask for prison visits, knowing it would be too risky to expose his son.

He understands, in a devoid sense, that he will not see his son until the boy is an adult. He will miss out on all of the important milestones and growth. All the experiences of parenthood stripped away.

Still, he feels like he is doing the right thing to protect his child.

Angela signs her bit next, agreeing to provide check-ups at least once a year for the Reyes-Morrison offspring until he is 18. She also signs on as a joint legal guardian in case anything was to happen to Sarah or her husband.

Signed away and dealt with, the lawyer leaves the two to converse while they process the paperwork.

There isn’t much to say.

Jack fills the silence, for Angela’s sake.

“At least you’ll be able to come to the facility when he’s born. Maybe you could help me pick out names?” Jack leans back in his chair, a hand resting over his stomach.

His skin seems ashen; he is without the normal ‘glow’ of pregnancy.

“I would be honored to.” She promises him.

They do not discuss the fact that the omega will more than likely be without his alpha when the birth takes place, or that Gabriel may never even see his son.

They do not discuss the betrayal Jack feels.

*

The meeting to deliberate over the fate of Overwatch is held in Zurich, Switzerland.

Jack arrives, greeted by armed guards who escort him and Angela to the foyer. The blonde is thankful it is a private meeting without the fanfare of the media who hound the gates outside looking for photos.

“Be strong.” Angela whispers to him as she squeezes his hand and is led away.

Head held high, Jack tries his best to exude confidence, although he knows he may walk out of the building in handcuffs.

 _The UN will want a good photo-op_. He thinks begrudgingly.

He also knows that somewhere in the building, Gabriel Reyes is being detained and questioned in a meeting discussing Blackwatch. The Blackwatch Commander traveled to the Zurich headquarters well before Jack arrived in order to speak to the UN up close and personal.

Jack prays his mate didn’t make a fool of himself, though he knows the alpha has a way with words and a strong attitude that gets him through the worst of things.

Nonetheless, armed guards and a representative for the UN leads Jacks into the elevator towards the top floors where he will wait for his meeting with the United Nations officials to decide on the fate of Overwatch, and his fate.

He already knows the Petras Act will be passed.

He knows he will be court martialed.

He knows that in time, he will give birth to his son in a high security prison somewhere without his mate, his friends, or the comforts of home.

Still, he holds his head up high.

_Like a good soldier._

*

_It is all happening._

Jack paces back and forth in the empty meeting room while his lawyer sits painfully still at the table, head in his hands.

He has not met with the United Nations board yet, but he already knows the Petras Act will be passed. He had heard the whispers down the halls; had picked up on every rumor spread. As soon as he had made it to the top floor, his lawyer was quick to pull him into the side room to inform him the United Nations had already made their decision before hearing Jack’s plea.

He is livid, but the realization that it is all happening somehow loosens the tightness in his shoulders.

He feels sick as he thinks of all of his personnel, his agents; his _family_.

_Where will they go?_

His agent’s voice shakes as he reads off the charges and what the UN intends to do, as per agreed upon by the IJC and the council.

As a part of the agreement, Jack would be court martialed, go through trial, and be given the appropriate punishment of imprisonment without parole. For this exchange, they would let his agents go free in order to pursue other legal careers.

It’s a fair trade, to sacrifice one life for the lives of many.

As for Gabriel’s fate, he is unsure what they are to do with him. The alpha is still in the meeting with the UN as they deliberate the fate of Blackwatch and it’s commander.  

 _They separated us on purpose. They knew this would happen_. Jack thinks darkly, fueled by frustration and anger.

Guards stand outside the extra meeting room, barring Jack and his lawyer from exiting.

When time has passed and his feet ache, Jack sits in a chair and stares out the window. His lawyer stares to the ground.

_So many years served._

_So many years dedicating his life to peace._

_And for what?_

_To be made a criminal and waste away years in maximum prison without his mate, or his son?_

Jack knows heartache and grief; he has felt it from death and pain.

However, he has never felt betrayal and anger like this. The UN never intended to hear his side of the story or listen to his speech or plea deal.

They had already built Jack’s coffin and were ready to push his body into it.  

*

It is quiet and tense for a long time.

The silence is almost deafening that when sound penetrates the cold pale-grey walls, it shakes him from his seat.

He hears the yelling first, followed by gunfire.

“What the hell?” his lawyer stands, on edge.

Jack is out of his chair quickly, his whole mind on alert as he approaches the door. As his hand grabs on to the handle, he realizes he has been locked within the room.

He pounds at the door and yells as he hears the scream on the other side. He sees the guards by his door run down the hall, but disappears quickly from his narrowed line of sight.

The omega worries for Gabriel.

_Did he do something?_

_Did Blackwatch retaliate?_

_Is he okay?_

The building suddenly shakes as an all-consuming sound screeches and fills Jack’s senses with smoke and pain.

The blond’s body flies back from the force of the explosion, glass shattering in his face while his lungs burn for oxygen. He hears the scream and embers around him, choking on mouthfuls of smoke.

He tries to get up; the windows are blown out and his ears are bloodied and ringing.

His lawyer is dead in a crumpled heap, throat and face bloodied.

Jack is having trouble breathing and seeing through the smoke. His eyes burn and are incapable of clear sight; they singe and burn as he also struggles to hear and breathe through the mess of the chaos.

His ears ring incessantly, bleeding.

He screams for help as he attempts to rattle the door off of the hinges. It is his only escape, other than a 20 story drop to the earth below.  

He is trapped, and as he finally pushes through the door in terror, another explosion is set off.

*

Blood pools around him when he comes to, gasping and wheezing for breath as his ears ring and eyes look unseeing in the smoky darkness.

Sheer pain and agony light up every nerve in his body as he tries to right the spinning of his mind. He is disoriented with the pain and feeling; his mind powerless of thinking clearly from the onslaught of destruction around and within him.

He is dying.

 _This is the end_.

Jack Morrison shudders for breath and rolls himself to his side, to the shoulder that is still intact as he huddles into himself, protecting his midsection.

He exists in the turmoil of obliteration, unable to move where his left leg has been shattered from fallen metal.

Pinned, broken, and rasping for oxygen amid the smoke.

He rattles off one name, over and over again, shaking from the shock and loss of blood. His eardrums rattle as he tries to orient himself with his surroundings; with the world falling underneath his feet.

There is a glint of light in the darkness before it swallows him whole.

 

 

*

*

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I purposely left out some of the details of what Gabe is doing and where he is at the end. All will be revealed in time.  
> For this AU, I am taking plot ideas from both the canon story line, and my own headcanons.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Come send me writing prompts or say hello~
> 
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	5. Ascension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” –Gibran Khalil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Warning for scenes of graphic gore, violence, and depictions of grief.

_Then_

“I always thought it would be bigger.”

Gabriel turned deliberately to the blonde soldier next to him, eyebrows raised high as he tried to withhold a laugh, “ _Phrasing_ , Jackie. Should I be _offended_?”

The omega blushed a bright red and elbowed his new mate, “No! Oh my god, no! I didn’t mean- _Jesus_ , **_you_** are big enough. I was talking about the Hollywood sign this morning.”

They were lying side by side on a threadbare blanket on the sand; a rare day stolen away from base for some much needed R&R. Jack could count the number of times this opportunity had been given to them on one hand.

The morale amongst soldiers had been low despite the success of the recent mission. Days, weeks, _months_ of battle and they were finally awarded a day off for their efforts. It was much needed after all they had been through. The rumbling of the ocean pulled them away from their thoughts of the last mission when they had lost Capino, Ruiz, and Thompson. Their numbers were dwindling, including those who had survived the injections through the SEP program. It was disheartening for the pair to think about all the people they had lost in such a short window of time, but the comfort of having one another helped them weather the storm.

Naturally, the freshly mated pair took the time to see Gabriel’s native city where they were currently stationed for the week. It was somber, but they did their best to distract themselves from the grief and refocus their gaze to happier moments.

They were together; mated as alpha and omega, Gabriel and Jack Reyes.

 “Happy belated anniversary.” Gabriel murmured, accompanied by an affectionate kiss to Jack’s cheek. The omega sighed, leaning into the warm lips like a moth drawn to the flame.

“Ten month anniversary.” Jack corrected.                                                                                         

“Still a milestone.”

The pair had met Gabriel’s family briefly for the first time earlier in the day.

The alpha had ushered Jack into the borrowed military vehicle, telling the higher ups to shove it as he used his ranking to steal a day away for Jack and himself. He knew it was greedy, but he wasn’t about to use his day off to lounge around the base all day.

Gabriel wanted Jack to meet his family. It was only right and they weren’t sure when a better opportunity would present itself.

Thus, the pair left in the early hours of the morning to meet with the Reyes family.

Jack had met and spoken to the Reyes family via webcam before, but this would be his first meeting in person. He was only a little nervous as he tapped his fingers along his leg and smiled cheerfully. It was the alpha who had butterflies in his stomach.

Naturally, Gabriel’s older sisters, aunt ( _tia_ ), mother, and _abuela_ took to Jack and his ‘endearingly dorky’ attitude quickly. The Reyes family welcomed Jack excitedly, and the blonde entered into the household like a prodigal son coming home. Gabriel would have been a little jealous of all the attention Jack bolstered, but the pride and love he felt for his mate couldn’t be won over.

The youngest of four, Gabriel handled the ongoing torment of his family as they grilled both he and Jack on every question under the sun while his mother and aunt Rosa bustled around the kitchen, making many of Gabriel’s favorite breakfast foods.

His _abuela_ had elbowed him lightly, smiling knowingly as she served him a heaping plate of nopalitos con huevos, “Your father would be proud of you.”

She squeezed her grandson’s muscled shoulders before moving to help her daughter in the kitchen. Jack reached below the table to touch his mate’s hand gently, offering the alpha a small show of support.

Alejandro Reyes had passed away only two years before. He had battled cancer for years until finally, with old age and a tired soul, went in peace surrounded by family. It was a bitter subject for the alpha, who had been the only one unable to get away from his duties to offer his father the support he needed before his passing.

The conversation around the dinner table on Jack and Gabriel was a welcome distraction. They couldn’t discuss their work in detail, but it was fun, light-hearted teasing banter that kept the spirits high among the members (and newest member) of the family.

When conversation was brought up about having children someday (an incessant nagging by Gabriel’s mom in an attempt to obtain grandchildren), Gabriel had barked: “Quit it!” at the same time Jack had smiled wistfully and said “I want to have as many as Gabe can give me.”

Like it was as a challenge somehow.

Gabriel’s family was delighted, while the alpha himself was thrown off.

They had never discussed children; how could they when they were in the middle of a _war_?

“Oh! And how many do you think Gabi can give you?” Gabriel’s mother winked with a smile that was brighter than the sunrise.

The blonde omega was bashful, but he wasn’t hesitant in his answer, “I dunno, maybe 5? 6?” He rose a brow as he looked to his mate. “What do you think, _Gabi_?”

Gabriel shoveled more nopalitos into his mouth and shrugged. “However many will make you happy, _carino_.”

It made Gabriel soft to think of his strong, powerful, able-bodied mate bearing them resilient, healthy children one day. Once the thought entered his mind, it lingered there like a tingling worm in an apple for hours.

Fatherhood had never been something Gabriel put much thought into, but the bright earnest smile on Jack’s face filled him with pride and a strong desire to give his mate the moon and the stars in the night sky. He wanted to have that family with Jack; give the omega all of the love and cherished memories the blonde had missed out on from his own dysfunctional childhood.

Jack, who dealt with an alcoholic father, a mediating mother,  a younger sister who tried to keep the peace and a deceased older brother who haunted the omega’s image.

Looking to his mate now, it stayed with him. The buzzing longing to give his mate everything, even parenthood if Jack so wished it. Anything to make his light smile and shine.

When the war was over and the world was at peace, they would have their time.

They would have their own family.

One day.

“Do you ever regret this?” Jack whispered in-between the sacred space between them. The sun was low on the horizon as the pastel colors filled the sky and doused them in a soft, cool glow.

The question threw the alpha off.

“Are you still insecure about my feelings for you?” Gabriel chuckled teasingly as he pressed his lover down, his body half over his against the sand. “I knew from the minute I saw you- that infuriating, know-it-all _blondie_ is my true mate.”

The blonde swatted at him. “Be nice.”

“I am _always_ nice, _guero_.”

He kisses him with the taste of the sea breeze on his chapped lips; a fantasy away from the true horrors going on in the world.

It feels surreal to be given time to meet the family, drive to the beach, and feel the sand between their toes. Jack is almost wary of this domesticity, wary that there is something terrible lurking around the corner, waiting to snatch away their happiness. He knows that living a soldier’s life they will always be on a thin wire between this world and the next.

He pulls Gabriel in deeper, urging the alpha to press closer to him and erase all lines of fissure between them.

When a hand trails down to Gabriel’s interested cock, the alpha pulls away with a shuddering breath, eyes glassy with lust.

“This is a public beach.” He glances around at the same time Jack does.

The omega pants breathily, “No one is around. C’mon, I _want_ you. How many opportunities will we get to make love on the beach?”

“We’re going to get sand _everywhere_.” Gabe chides, but he’s unbuttoning their pants.

“That’s the fun of it.”

The sea-salt air is cold, but the heat between them keeps them warm as Gabriel relents. Jack has admittedly been the more adventurous one in their couplings, encouraging the alpha into new intimate situations as the younger omega explores his own blossoming sexuality with his mate.

Ever since losing his virginity to the older alpha, it seemed to have opened a Pandora’s box of sexual intrigue. Jack used to fool around when he was younger, but never going all the way until he had been with Gabriel. There are many things Jack had never experienced, but he made up for it with great enthusiasm with his partner. The omega wasn’t naïve, but he was still young and vibrant in a world turned so gray from loss and uncertainty.

The blonde is impatient to get their lovemaking going as he pulls Gabriel’s pants and underwear down to his knees. He gasps when Gabriel rolls a nipple between his fingers teasingly, groaning loud as the lull of the waves drown out the sound of their voices.

Their joining is a fast and passion-filled affair. Jack on his knees, back arched as he welcomes Gabriel’s thick cock into his slick-coated entrance. The alpha groans as he covers his mate’s upper torso, placing rough kisses and bites along Jack’s shoulders and neck as he rolls his hips into him just the way the omega likes.

There will be sand in all sorts of places, but neither of them cares.

Jack had never seen the Pacific Ocean before, and this will be a perfect way to remember it by.

The omega comes first, gasping raggedly in the night’s cool air as the alpha strokes his dick, pulling from him every beautiful sound the alpha relishes.

“Do you want my knot, _carino_?”

The younger man nods, delirious with pleasure as his mate continues to move inside him, his pace quickening as the omega opens up around him and accepts the thicker knot. There is a slight wince of pain from the intrusion until Gabriel groans, deep and guttural, which makes Jack’s toes curl in ecstasy as a second, overwhelming orgasm is pulled from him. His dick twitches valiantly as the pleasure pulls his muscles into soothing delight.

“ _Fuck_.” Jack sobs, body barely able to support itself as his mate licks along his bond mark.

The darker skinned man slowly guides them to lie on their sides, spooned together where they are still connected. Jack groans wantonly, pulling his mate’s arms around him to keep the slight chill away. They are still mostly dressed, but their clothing sticks to them from the sweaty exertion of their coupling while sand itches at their skin.

A tender silence comes between them as Gabriel kisses the nape of Jack’s neck, revealing in their joined scents. Ever since their bond was formed, they could feel each other on a new visceral level. Their mating marks ensured that they could experience each other’s pain and joy; their sickness and health. They anticipate what the other needs and attend to them, keeping the bond strong and well. 

Gabriel can sense the unsettled thoughts in Jack’s mind. He couldn’t read them, but the slight furrow in Jack’s brow gave enough away that something was on his mind.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Gabriel raked his teeth over the omega’s bond mark.

Jack sighs, closing his eyes as he runs his fingers across Gabe’s. He knows it is best to come out with it, as the thoughts have been plaguing his mind all day, “I do wonder if we made a mistake by mating too quickly.”

It doesn’t seem like the right conversation when Gabriel is still hot and full inside of his lover. The alpha makes to ask what’s going on, but Jack continues.

The omega tightens his hand over Gabriel’s, “I don’t regret it. I love you and I knew the moment I saw you that you were it for me.” He reassures. “I just don’t want to hurt you in case I don’t make it through the war. Your mom said…she said it was painful to lose her mate, your dad, and I don’t want you to go through that in case I- in case I don't come back from a mission somehow.”

The alpha wasn’t upset with jack for thinking this way. Their lives were always on the line, and it was only natural that this conversation comes. For it to be spurred by Reyes’s mother was no surprise to him.

“I would rather have you as my mate for as long as I can, than not have you at all.” He states without hesitation.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Jack winces, “What if-“

 The alpha turns his mate’s head affectionately, covering his lips with his own to drown out the uncertainty and pain.

When they pull apart, Gabriel replies, “I will never regret mating with you. If death decides to come knocking, I will protect you with all I am. And if you go, I will follow you into that darkness.”

Jack’s throat feels tight, “Isn’t that a Death Cab for Cutie song?” he tries to joke and make light of the situation, though his heart is beating loudly in his chest.

Gabriel swats him on the ass, “That’s what you get for trying to kill my knot, _chico de oro_. Now lay down, be still and enjoy this with me. We have another hour ‘til we need to head back.”

“So romantic.” Jack snorts, a sleepy smile left on his face despite the heaviness of the conversation. His mind is still idle with it, but it is no longer as loud and bothersome as before.

Gabriel lays back on his side, holding his mate close as they listen to the ocean waves and watch the sun disappear. There are not many stars visible in the night sky, not like in Indiana, but it still takes Jack’s breath away regardless.

“ _Te amo_ , Jackie.” Gabe sighs, eyes fluttering closed as the deafening quiet lulls him deeper to his mate. The alpha is at peace beside him, focused solely on their moment stolen away together.

The omega smiles, eyes glassy as he looks out to the horizon, “ _Te amo_ , Gabe.”

Whatever fate had in store for him, Jack had no doubt that they would follow each other wherever they could; even to death’s door and back.

*

_Now_

_*_

_“I will not let you die.”_

There is a glimmer of light in the darkness.

The smoke and debris are all-encompassing; there is a raging fire two floors above and the structural integrity of the building could give out at any moment.

Still, there is a mission to be done.

A promise to be fulfilled.

_“Watch over him.”_

To scale up the building in desperation. The eyes of a hawk, watching every one of Jack’s moves. Where they kept him. Were he was lead. Where he was _trapped._

Where he was betrayed.

_“Do not let him get hurt. Don’t let him die.”_

It is easier said than done to get to the top while remaining unnoticed. At least the only onlookers are the dead and the dying as a figure rushes through the halls, searching in a panic for the room Jack Morrison lay in.

It is nearly impossible to see in the smoke-filled hallway; easier to breathe with the mask on, but the sounds of the groaning structure and crackling fire fill the ears with dreadful warning.

If the blast doesn’t kill him, the smoke inhalation will.

 _“It isn’t his time.”_  

The figure finds the final door barely hanging on its hinges, an outside lock hanging from the side where they had entombed the soldier. They had been sure to keep him imprisoned inside; they had lured him into the snare where later they would rid of him.

Inside, the body of Strike Commander Morrison lay crumpled on its side. His legs are trapped down by metal debris, ensnaring him to his grave.

Through the smoke, there is blood.

_“I need you to watch over him in case this goes south.”_

Time is running out. A voice in the figure’s ear tells them as much, and without hesitation, they proceed. The figure hurries in a panic to remove the scraps of metal and debris from the fallen soldier. It is haphazard and tricky with the wounds, but the building is about to go down and take them all with it.

_“If it goes to hell, there’s no telling what will happen. Entiendes?”_

The pregnant omega is clinging to life on thin tendrils.

To ward off the dealings of smoke, the figure fixes an emergency air filter mask over his mouth and nose. It will do for now to get him through the hallways without worrying of suffocation or air poisoning.

Once everything has been removed and his body lay prone, there is difficulty in lifting him from the floor. He is unconscious deadweight in the figure’s arms.

However, the figure is strong.

The figure knows to push through the most adverse trials.

Another light at the end of the hall rushes to meet them.

Two figures, two ferrymen to take the dead to the other side.

Against all odds, Jack Morrison is taken into the veil of smoke and pain, ushered to the afterlife in the hands of the ferrymen.

_“I promise.”_

The sun’s light slowly recedes.

*

On the other side of the coin, the moon’s face cracks and crumbles as death deals its welcoming hand.

Laying sprawled on his back in a pool of his own blood and fire, Gabriel knows that his mission has failed. As vigilant and headstrong as he had been, he knows now that the outcome would’ve always been this way.

It doesn’t matter what he did or tried to do, they won.

They had the upper hand.

He has failed.

The angel of mercy kneels before him, her eyes bloodshot and heavy from the smoke and the torment of witnessing the alpha’s final moments helplessly. She tries to prioritize the open wounds to stop the bleeding, but with only two hands, she knows it is not enough to save the Blackwatch Commander.

Her wings cast an illuminating glow amidst the destruction and wreckage surrounding them. He can barely utter words as he struggles through the globs and clots of blood crawling up and spilling from the corners of his seared mouth. 

“ _I will not let you die_!” She chokes on her words, her eyes and throat burning from the smoke that her wings were trying to push back.

Her hands turn red as she opens the alpha’s shirt, revealing the gunshot wounds that litter his chest and the fallen metal that has pierced through his abdomen.

Gabriel wants to tell her no.

He wants to tell her to let him go.

“A-Ang, d-don’t-“

She shakes her head willfully.

It has never been done- to bring someone back from death’s grip.

His limbs have already blackened, his eyes gazing unseeing into the light of Angela’s halo. He has already been claimed by death to be delivered to the devil, but the angel will not let him go.

Angela’s hands tremble as she uses all of her power to extend her hands, mustering all of her strength and power to deliver him from the clutches of the other side.

She tells herself she will bring him back, no matter the cost.

“N-no…!” Gabriel groans, his body jerking uncontrollably as he seizes from the first touch of healing light.

The remaining blood under his skin immediately burns and scorches through him from the contact. His skin buzzes as all of the hairs on his body stand up on end, as if he is being electrocuted.

“S-STOP!” Gabriel exclaimed brokenly, eyes turning red as the nanites in his body respond to Ziegler’s prayer and begin regenerating life.

_Regenerating to take control._

Angela is unrelenting as she presses her strong hands with all of her power and resolve to force Gabriel’s body to accept the healing; to accept the biotic field and repair itself.

In forcing the healing upon him, she breaks the seal and unleashes the sleeping monster within.

The alpha’s whole body convulses violently, his eyes red as he screams into a new life. His chest pushes up, heart beating and glowing crimson, his darkened skin almost translucent as it is overrun with power. The nanites consume the energy, multiplying rapidly and taking over what little control he had left as if they had been waiting for this moment all along. A thrash to his side and the power leaves his body through a powerful push.

The beta’s body is thrown back from the surge of energy. She exclaims in alarm when she collides with an overturned desk, crying as she glances up to see her work; to look for Gabe

Before her eyes, she watches as Gabriel Reyes dies and something new in his place is resurrected.

The wraith stands on shuddering bones, its skin blackened as it wears the decayed face of her friend.

“ _Gabriel_?” Angela ventures, coughing in the hell surrounding them.

The creature’s neck twitches to the side, its body at an odd angle as its decayed brown-gray skin melts off of the muscles, sinew, and bones; pooling into black and red wisps below. On closer inspection, she notices his skin is bubbling and darkening in layers, the bones in its body cracking as it tries to move towards her.

It tries to take a bigger step forward, hands coming to its head, a silent scream of agony as it falls to its knees. The wraith’s throat glows red as the energy consumes and pools in its eye sockets and mouth, melting back the familiar human features into a glowing skull before her.

Angela is too afraid to stand, her heart nearly stopped as she hyperventilates in terror.

Another surge of energy pushes from the figure, and then-

The figure crumples to the ground, shaking and convulsing as the body of Gabriel Reyes melts into black smoke and rises into the air.

“ _Gabriel!?_ ” Angela shrieks, tears falling from her face as the remains of her friend disappear, escaping her grasp as she tries to crawl forward and save whatever piece of the man she could.

All that remains are his bloodied clothing and the dog tags reading _Jack Morrison._

*

Before the building makes a final shudder and falls around her, Angela escapes with a heavy heart and a shame forever etched into her soul.

_Forgive me, Gabriel._

_I have failed you._

_I have failed both of you._

*

He is in agony.

Pain alights every nerve ending as he shifts and forms through the crevices, his body pulling from the smoke where the monster tears him apart and pulls along his entrails and bones, reshaping and forming him into one.

He is disoriented with the deafening fire of his body as he is destroyed and made new, over and over again.

A never-ending cycle.

Through the pain he feels the throbbing in his neck, wherever his neck _is_ , as his bond bite beats rapidly before pulsing out, firing every nerve and synapse as he feels the bond wane and groan.

_Jack._

He is helpless to fight it as he is torn apart from the inside out.

The wraith finally takes control of him, ushering him into a new existence.

A new _life_.

*

*

*

There are not many places in the world to take an injured super soldier and entrust that all participants involved will keep his presence safe and quiet.

However, she is running out of time with each shallow breath that escapes Jack’s lungs.

They made it to the transport unscathed and unseen thanks to Yafe’s cloaking technology, but it was only by the skin of their teeth. Yafe is already to the front, directing their quick flight to the closest safe house to a doctor they can trust.

Ana takes off her mask and looks down to her fallen brother, eyes hardened by the amount of blood and wounds she sees on his body.

Bustling around her is Jadira, Yafe’s older sister. She tries to account for all of the omega’s injuries while setting up an IV and giving him continuous, mild doses of the healing biotics to keep his systems functioning. Too much, and it would overwhelm the healing process and possibly kill him.

Ana will grieve what has happened later on. For now, she is resolute in seeing Jack transported safely to the refuge and to the doctor whom she trusts could possibly save him.

“He is not in good sorts, Ana. I’ve accounted for what external injuries I can find, but my scanner won’t be able to discern the wellbeing of the fetus.” Jadira pushes her medical holo-pad over the omega’s exposed stomach to pull up the readings. There is still a heartbeat, but Ana knows through her own experiences that it is weakened.

There is some bruising that worries the pair as they look over the omega’s stomach. Ana presses her hand lightly against Jack’s swollen abdomen, feeling around to where the baby rests underneath his skin. A fluttering feeling of movement echoes back.

“We need to focus on saving him. The child comes second.” Ana states, though her voice feels weak and crestfallen, even to her own ears. She knows Jack wouldn’t have it this way, would want everything to be done to save _his child_ first, but Ana had already made a promise.

It is a painful decision, but it is what needs to be done.

Jadira says nothing on it as she nods an affirmative and continues to treat the minor lacerations that nick and litter the blonde’s body. His deeper, more serious injuries will need the careful hands of a more experienced doctor.

Ana continues to work on cleaning off the blood from the omega’s skin and sterilizing the cuts and lacerations while Jadira addresses the burns. Ana’s own medical training and years of service on the front lines provide her the headspace she needs to focus on the task at hand and leave her emotions to the wayside.

Even when she looks to Jack’s once beautiful face, now scarred and burned with two deep gashes glaring angry red back up to her, she swallows back the tears and wipes the blood, sweat, and soot from the omega’s features.

There is deep bruising and burns around his eyes, worrying her heart as she carefully runs her gloved knuckles along a patch of his unscathed cheek.

“ _I’m so sorry, Jack_.”

*

The transport makes it over the Swiss Alps and into the small lakeside city of Como, Italy.

There, retired Doctor Alessia Ros has agreed to take them into her home and attend to the Strike Commander’s injuries in the extended basement of her old villa.

It is nightfall by the time they arrive noiselessly, ushering Jack on a stretcher as they take him to her makeshift medical wing below with any distant neighbors none the wiser. Ana has called upon the doctor many times before, the elderly woman a long and old time dear friend. The same friend who had long ago delivered Fareeha and cared for Ana postpartum.

“Jadira sent me over the readings and his status. I’ve been monitoring his vitals live, so we’ll need to attend to his broken leg and shoulder blade first. I’ve also secured a transfusion of blood. How many months along is he?” Dr. Ros asks as she lathers and sanitizes her arms while Jadira preps Jack for surgery.

“Around six and a half months.”

“I won’t be able to give him any heavy painkillers.” The doctor explains as she glances over to Ana with a solemn expression.

“He is strong.” Ana stiffens.

“I trust your word.” The older woman pulls on her gloves and mask as she enters into the main room to begin surgery. Jadira is already at Jack’s side, his body cleaned of dirt and excess so that the long, torturous journey to bring him back to stabilized health can begin.

Ana watches from the other side of the window, heart heavy as she begins to prepare herself to enter into the room. Yafe assists her, his quiet support enough to keep the older omega’s tears at bay in this time of uncertainty.

She prays to the gods that Jack will pull through.

She prays to the gods that Jack and Gabriel’s child will be strong enough to survive the omega's trauma.

All through the surgery, as she assists the doctor and nurse in saving her best friend, she mouths a silent prayer to lift Jack’s spirits and bring him back to her. Her hands do not shake, nor does her head cloud with emotions as she assists on Dr. Ros’s mission.

She hopes it doesn’t fall on deaf ears.

_“I will always watch over you, habibi.”_

*

It is all over the news.

The collapse heard around the world as the peaceful meeting between the United Nations, International Justice Commission, and Overwatch ended in a destructive blast that killed over 30 personnel and injured hundreds more.

Among the dead that flash upon the news screen are Strike Commander Jack Morrison and Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes.

In a small dive bar somewhere in the sandy plains of New Mexico, Jesse McCree watches the old TV with his glass of amber liquid held tightly in his flesh hand, eyes glued to the reporter and the subtitles below.

_“Reports have come in that the confirmed bodies of Morrison and Reyes have been recovered from the wreckage, along with the list of names shown here. Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying any motives or tips on as to why this tragedy has taken place. All security footage that has been recovered from the scene has been tampered with by an outside source. Authorities have not yet been able to identify who the attack was initiated by and whether or not it was by a terrorist group or an inside source._

_Some reports allege Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes is behind the attacks, but authorities are dismissing the claims. Although known for having a troubling rapport with the UN, Reyes has not yet been listed as a suspect in these bombings-“_

Jesse downs the liquid in his glass, welcoming the intense burn as he pushes the glass forward for more.  

“Another one?” The older bartender asks, lips in a thin line as they look between the ragged cowboy before them and the disconcerting news on the screen.

“Keep ‘em comin’. Gonna need the whole damn bottle at this rate.” The cowboy exhales deeply, his heart aching something terrible in his chest.

Outside, the desert thunders as hot and cold clouds collide in the sky. It feels like an appropriate backdrop to the crushing grief twisting his stomach.

“I got some brandy that might be to your likin.” The bartender moves aside and pours the younger, scruffier man a glass. “This one’s on the house. You look like you’ve seen better days, kid.”

Jesse huffs, “You could say that. Much obliged.” He tips his head and takes a sip while the bartender takes a smaller shot in commiseration. The unsteadiness in the younger man’s hand doesn’t go unnoticed.

The alcohol is a welcome reprieve from the pain.

Later on, when he passes out at the wooden bar, the bartender pays him no mind and allows the outlaw a few hours of drunken shut eye.

He had looked like he’d seen a ghost.

*

Ana watches the news for days while Jack remains in a medically induced coma, the sounds of the machines signaling his life while a smaller monitor was set up and attached to his stomach.

There are two heartbeats going simultaneously.

Jack’s slower heartrate, and the fetus’s quickened rhythm.

He is not completely out of the woods yet, but he has been stabilized enough to allow the slow and tedious healing to begin. Ana glances to him restlessly from time to time, eyes sheened with tears for her friend’s withered appearance.

Despite being a super soldier, he looks small and helpless lying in the white pressed sheets of the bed. Wires and monitors stick in and out of him, keeping him grasping to life. The most worrisome of his injuries were the ones sustained to his head; blunt force trauma, burns in and around his eyes, and two ruptured eardrums.

Dr. Ros had already warned Ana that Jack would need to undergo additional procedures to address his eyes and ears. With the more life-threatening wounds dealt with, the doctor would be able to once again gather her resources and decide how and when to further address and heal the omega’s other injuries. For now, his brain injury was healing and the swelling was going down. They wouldn’t know the full extent of his head trauma until the Strike Commander was awake.

Ana holds Jack’s bruised hand, her thumb running over his skin as she watches the TV that holds the news of what had happened in Zurich.

Her heart is heavy with anger, despair, and sorrow when she finds Gabriel’s name amongst the dead. However, her mind is already turning gears as she looks to Jack, clinging to life in front of her, and back to the screen that claims Morrison’s remains had ‘been found’.

It isn’t right.

She knows that outside forces are still tampering with the truth and evidence, and vows to Jack and on Gabriel’s soul to put together the puzzle pieces and get the clear picture. Her sources are far and ever-reaching, and she will painstakingly uncover what went down in Zurich.

Ana was not a stranger to revenge.

Jadira pulls her from her thoughts as a cup of hot jasmine tea is set before her. “You should get some rest. I can sit with him, _sadayqaa_.”

“I am not tired.” Ana’s lips thin, though her eyes betray her with their heaviness.

“Your heart has seen enough pain these past few days. It deserves the time to process.” Jadira checks over Jack’s vitals, recording the information down. She sits on the opposite side of the bed and pulls a book from her coat.

“I want to be here when he wakes up.”

“We will wake you before it is done.” Jadira reassures her, her brown eyes soft and caring. Her light golden brown skin glows amid the signals  casting off of the machines. “I promise I will take good care of our patient.”

Ana nods and takes a sip of her tea, her worries quelled for now. Her bones crack and groan as she stands from her chair, tea cradled warmly in her hands while she leaves the medical room with one last glance to the wounded omega sleeping peacefully around the machines.

However, her fears are not chased away even in the quiet of the small guest bedroom a few feet away from the medical wing.

Ana turns back on her holo-TV and watches the horrors that unfold on the screen as funeral plans are arranged, touching tributes are made in the honor of the fallen, and her best friends are spoken about as if, in the last minutes of their lives, they had been heroes again to those who spouted hate for them before.

_Jack Morrison died a hero._

The news twisted the information that Ana knows all too well is false. She had known that Jack’s plea deal would never be heard by the UN and IJC. She had known that the Petras Act had already been surreptitiously decided upon by the nations, and that it would be pushed through no matter what barrier or speech would be presented to stop it.

She had arrived in Zurich at the ready to break Jack free in case the opportunity presented itself. She wasn’t about to let Jack live out 35+ years in maximum prison, or allow Gabriel to make a move to either injure Jack’s plea deal or cause more of a schism between the public and Overwatch (not that she would anticipate Gabriel Reyes to ever do something _unsavory_ ).

She had also made a promise, long ago when Gabriel had provided her the information he recovered on the Petras Act before Jack knew about it, that he would not allow them to ever take Jack out.

Now, the media outlets paint a different story.

They say:

_Jack Morrison: agreed to the Petras Act and cooperated 100% as he ‘readied himself to atone for his crimes and unite with authorities for peace’._

_Jack Morrison: a hero as he saw to a peaceful end to Overwatch to enhance public safety._

_Jack Morrison: Controversial omega leader agreed to sign the Petras Act and usher a new age of global security before his untimely death._

Ana feels sick as she watches all the lies play out on the screen. Each station a new twist on the same lie: that Jack Morrison had agreed to the Petras Act and the disbanding of Overwatch.  That Jack only wanted to be with his mate and raise a family, like a good omega.

That he was only _following orders_ , like a _good omega_.

Ana turns off the TV.

*

*

*

Jack awakens, startled and shaken as if he had been held under water for _years._

The first thing he registers is the resounding  pain, his blue eyes open in alarm but everything is blurred horribly around them. He can only make out the darkly outlined shapes and colors, his head doubling in with a throb from the effort to focus in on any one thing.  

His ears ring lightly, causing panic to flood his senses as he hears a voice call out to him, several octaves low as if he had hot water filling and sloshing around in his ears uncomfortably.

“Jack?”

A warm, familiar hand presses against his as a scent fills his nostrils. That, at least, seems to be healed or unmarred with pain.

“ _A_ - _Ana_?” he croaks, her presence unmistakable to his finely tuned scent receptors. Panic wells in his throat. “ _Ana_?!”

“Shhhh, I am here, _habibi_. You’re safe with me.” Her words are slow and he can tell that she is speaking loudly with relief. He wonders how long he has been out on the verge of death. He looks towards her, just making out the light of her white hair and honeyed skin.

“Am-A-am I d-dead?” Jack stutters through his sentence, his head pounding. “I-it hurts.” He tightens his teeth while a doctor in a white coat comes to the side and administers something through the IV. He isn’t sure whether he is under some illusion or dreaming, but with the amount of pain he is in, he cares little on whether or not this is real.

Ana is here, seemingly alive and with him.

He gasps as hands trail down to his swollen abdomen.

A hard kick pushes up against his hand, his son moving around stubbornly inside of him, perhaps pleased to feel his parent moving around for the first time in a long time. Unfortunately, his son care little th at he is pressing up against bruised ribs. Jack winces, breathing slowly as he runs his hand carefully over the top of his stomach to calm his child.

“Is he kicking?” An elderly woman’s voice asks. Again, he can tell she is speaking loudly, but it registers low in his ears.

“Yes.” He whispers, cradling his hand over his abdomen.

Overcome, he has a million questions he wants to ask, but his brain is slow and hazy from the pain, his injuries, and the drugs. Whatever the doctor put in his IV, it begins to soothe the anxiety and confusion he is experiencing.

Jack knows he should be dead.

Knows that _Ana_ should be dead.

Through the graces of whatever fates are looking out for him, his future has changed.

 “My s-s-son.” Jack stammers.

Ana’s eyes soften, a hand resting over Jack’s again in a show of love and support. “We will do an ultrasound to check on him soon. For now, we needed to pull you from your sleep to check on your cognitive brain functions before we continue your treatment.”

Jack hears her, understands what she is saying, but another sensation clasps all of his attention and draws him in. His face stiffens, mouth half open as his brows furrow, causing a wince of pain from the heavy stitched gashes on his face. They are nearly healed, but still pink and raw.

He feels it then.

The pain in his mating bond; the lack of a responding pulse as he clambers through the bond for his mate, searching desperately for any small inkling of Gabriel’s ties to him.

His heart throbs and splits as _loss_ fills and overpowers every nerve in his system.

A wet, broken gasp pulls from his lungs as his eyes tighten, his bandaged hand splaying over his chest where the ache pumps and burns.

The feeling Gabriel’s mother had described to him so many years and years ago.

“Jack?” Ana yells out to him in alarm, repeating it over and over again until the omega shakes his head, tears filling his eyes and burning them with their wells of grief.

“I- c-can’t feel h-him.” Jack cries out brokenly, “G-Gabe-“

_Gabriel is gone._

He knows it; can feel it inside of his soul like a scorching brand.

He screams out brokenly into the room, hunching in on himself as tears pour from his burned eyes, down his stitched and bandaged face as heartache overtakes his senses.

He says Gabriel’s name brokenly again and again, trying to find a responding pulse as he searches through their bond.

A bond that no longer thrummed with life.

Ana reaches forward, pulling Jack against her as she climbs onto the hospital bed with him, tears streaming down her own stricken face as she cradles and rocks him gently towards her, soothing him as the tears do not stop and his heart bleeds with _defeat_.

*

_Then_

“When I lost Alejandro, I knew he would be at peace with the Lord. I knew he was ready, but it didn’t take away the loss one feels when their true mate dies.” Cassandra Reyes looked over to her son’s mate, her beautiful eyes soft and sad. They were standing in the kitchen, side by side, scrubbing at the bigger pots and pans that couldn’t fit in the dishwasher. Jack glanced back at his mate, surrounded by the other members of the Reyes family on the couch as they joked and cajoled with one another.

“You still miss him.” Jack replied, his heart aching for her as the pain was still so clear in the eyes that Gabriel had inherited. Cassandra nodded.

“Every day, every hour, every _minute_ and _second_. When you lose your true mate, you never return from it. You change. We fell in love when we were 16; high school sweethearts, you know.” Cassandra sighed wistfully, “I hope that you are both blessed with a long life. I know you have dangerous careers and I pray for you both every day.”

Jack smiled sadly and pulled her into a side hug, soapy hands and all, “Thank you. I’m so sorry for your loss…I wish I had the chance to meet Mr. Reyes. I love Gabriel very much and I promise I’ll take good care of him. He’s my everything.”

“I know, I can see it.” She smiled genially, “Just promise to look out for him? He is stubborn, headstrong, and keeps too much inside. He is so much like me, but he is good at holding it in like his father used to. I'm happy to see he has kept his sense of humor, despite the crisis.”

Jack caught a glimpse again of his mate and observed the alpha laughing, eyes nearly closed with tears as his sister spoke rapidly in Spanish, telling a funny joke or story no doubt as she made funny hand gestures to the group.

It warmed Jack’s heart as their bond thrummed with love and affection.

“You’ll take good care of him for us, wont you, _mijo_?” Cassandra questioned.

Gabriel’s eyes glanced up, meeting Jack’s amused blue. Gabe chuckled, shaking his head as he looked back to his sisters, grandmother, and aunt, but glanced again at Jack, giving him a cheeky wink from across the room.

A soft blush warmed Jack’s cheeks.

“I will, I promise.” Jack replied, heart overflowing with adoration. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger in the last chapter! I was going to post Ch.5 right after 4, but….deadlines happened. XD Then Bronchitis came to kick me in the ass, so I’ve been pushing through. I’ve also been biting my nails over this chapter as my plot bunnies come into fruition.  
> I have very limited medical knowledge, so bear with me. <3 Any corrections are appreciated. I take into account that this is many years into the future with advanced medical procedures and cures. 
> 
> Come send me writing prompts or say hello~  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
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> 


	6. Austere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life." -Anne Roiphe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Warning for scenes of hunting, parent abuse (verbal), depression and grief. There are also going to be some slight supernatural references as Gabriel is discussed with his Reaper identity.

_Then_

“You just point and shoot, no hesitation, son. You have to be more confident in yourself.”

The 12-year-old omega held the gun with shaking hands, struggling to balance the weight of the weapon as he zeroed in on the deer in the distance. It was a beautiful buck, its antlers large and proud as it grazed in the tall grass, most of its body hidden away by the heavy brush outside of his father’s golden wheat fields.

John Morrison Sr. crouched beside his scrappy son, a frown etched in his brow as he adjusted the omega’s aim and settled a rough hand on his middle child’s back. It was the gentlest of touch; a feeling Jack was starved for as his breathing shuddered, heartbeat thumping loud in his ears. He felt nervous trepidation course through his body the moment his father had shouldered the gun, looked him for the first time in the eyes, and told him they were going out hunting.

They had walked through the fields, booted feet heavy in the vegetation as his father explained the mechanics of shooting to him. Jack barely heard any of it, his excited nerves all too consuming.

He had been craving this moment for years.

It was something John had only ever done with Andrew, Jack’s older alpha brother. The eldest Morrison child was ‘better adapted’ for this ‘sort of thing’ than his younger siblings, Jack and Sarah. The older alpha had started practicing when he was only 8, under the guidance of their dad. It was a bonding exercise John and Andrew enjoyed many days of the week while Jack stayed back home, understanding where he stood in his father’s opinion.

Andrew was a great shot and had won numerous awards and competitions in town and county with sharpshooting. One time he had even advanced to state where he had placed third. It was a joyous day for the Morrison family when Andrew was called on stage, his smile infectious and genuine.

It was also the day Jack had glimpsed the biggest smile he had ever seen on his dad’s face, which radiated for days. There might have even been a slight layer of tears in the man’s eyes.

Jack didn’t begrudge his brother for being the ‘favorite’, but the pangs of jealousy and hurt festered and grew every time his father called his brother’s name instead of his. Every time Andrew could do no wrong while Jack’s own interests and achievements were met with a ‘good job’; a passive pride where it was merely expected of Jack to try and follow in his brother’s footsteps, despite _what_ he was.

The trophies and ribbons still hung proudly in the family room, at the very top of the shelf with Sarah and Jack’s own below; a souring reminder to the middle Morrison on where his older brother stood..

Those trophies and awards were also a testament to the life Andrew had lived. 

They remained there even after the incident.

_After the accident._

Andrew used to sneak his younger siblings out shooting with him before, so the weight of the gun was hardly the issue for why Jack shook. He had gone out in the fields to shoot gophers before while his brother laughed, wide and easy as he messed Jack’s hair and joked with him good naturedly. The omega was used to the shape and weight of the gun.

What he wasn’t used to was having his father’s full attention on him. The shape and weight of his father’s hand momentarily against his back to steady him.

Jack let in a deep breath, his heart feeling heavy as he lined up the shot. He had never killed something this big before, but he wasn’t about to upset his father. As steady as he could, he clenched his jaw, aware that his father’s gaze was a much on him as his was on the buck in the distance.

The boy held his breath, body stiff as he pulled the trigger.

Birds dispersed from the trees, the sound of the shot echoing loud in the quiet late afternoon. Jack let out his breath, muscles a little sore from the backlash where he had carried himself too stiff.

“God damnit, junior, you shot it in the fucking leg!”

The boy nearly jumped out of his own skin.

The buck in the distance struggled in a panicked daze as it strained to get up from the ground and failed with each attempt due to the severe bullet wound in its front leg. Jack trembled, preparing the gun for another shot with shaky fingers as his dad cursed in agitation beside him.

Jack lined up the next shot too soon and missed. His nerves coiled dreadfully as he tried to prepare the next shot.

“No! It’s already down.” John growled, shoving his foot at his son’s leg, jarring him from his attempt to shoot again. He grabbed the gun and shouldered it on his back. “Get up, c’mon.”

Jack stumbled as he followed after his father’s quickened pace, the older alpha annoyed as they approached the distraught animal. It lay on its side, breathing deep and quickened as its eyes relayed all of its torture and panic.

The young blonde looked at the animal with his words stuck in his throat; his mouth dry as his father gripped his shoulder and forced him to look at the fraught, bloodied animal.

“You did this. This creature is suffering because you can’t make a fucking shot.” John pushed the gun back into Jack’s hands, “You better not miss at this range.”

“Yes, sir.” Jack replied stiffly, suppressing his emotions despite the fact his eyes were watering with tears as he lined up the firearm.

At this range, his deep blue eyes could see clearly into the Buck’s profound brown. The whites of its eyes were visible along the sides where they were bulging from the stress and agony of being terminally injured.

They were beautiful brown eyes…a deep, chocolate brown that held the traces of wisdom and understanding as Jack pointed his weapon to its head, his breath unsteady.

He pulled the trigger.

The animal stilled as it was given reprieve from its suffering.  

John approached the animal and checked it over; mouth still tightened in a firm line as he pulled rope from his bag and began tying it around the back legs where they would drag it out to the wheat fields and to the awaiting vehicle to load it on.

Jack stood to the side, securing the firearm before shouldering it, unsure where and if he was needed. His father began pulling the buck behind them as he led the way, silent and eyes focused ahead instead of on his son.

The omega looked down to the ground at the small puddle of blood on the fallen leaves and dirt. He watched as the ground swallowed the animal’s blood, blending in with the surroundings as if nothing had happened in the first place. As if he hadn’t just screwed up a chance to make his father proud and had mistakenly made a living think suffer because of it.

He wiped his tears on his sleeve, sniffing hard to try and hide the tears and snot that spoke of his own disappointment, frustration, and defeat. His father would sneer at him if he saw him cry.

He had one shot, and had blown it.

By the time he made it out of the brush, the buck was already loaded into the back of the 4-wheel. His father sat down and glanced over to him, holding his hand out. “Give me the gun.”

Jack nodded, scrabbling for a moment to relinquish the firearm. His father grabbed it and slung the gun strap across his broad shoulder. He then placed both hands on the bars and started the 4-wheeler.

“You’re walking home.” His father looked over to him, his eyes devoid of the warmth and mirth they used to carry months ago. The loss of Andrew had made the old alpha a bitter, dissatisfied man. “Grab the mail on your way back.”

“Yes, sir.” The omega’s shoulders sagged as his father took off with what would be dinner for the evening. He watched the outline of the man grow smaller as he traversed on the outskirts of the wheat field and towards the main road to the house.

Despite his father’s disappointment, the boy still wanted nothing more than to make his parent proud.

As he walked along the path, the brown eyes kept coming back to haunt his thoughts; the image of the buck bloodied and writhing as its soul begged for an end to its pain.

A creature that knew what was coming, but fought however it could until its last breath.

The look in the buck’s eyes would haunt Jack for the rest of his life.

*

_Now_

In his fevered dreams, the omega saw an injured Gabriel in the place of the buck; collapsed injured on the ground surrounded by smoke and fire as he begged for Jack to end it, to finish what the _Strike Commander_ had started.

“Pull the trigger, Jackie, please! Fucking do it already!” Gabriel choked on his own blood, eyes wild and so very, very deep and wise. They were the richest brown Jack had ever seen as they looked to him in fear and agony. “You did this to me!”

Jack felt like his 12-year-old self again, shaking his head as his fingers froze on the trigger.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” He rambled over and over, too frozen in fear as he watched his mate get swallowed by the flames, unable to put an end to his suffering due to his weak inability to let go.

The omega awoke from his dreams sweating and gasping for air night after night, a name on the tip of his tongue as he swore he felt the smoke suffocating his lungs and the fire licking at his heels and fingertips.

He dissolved into tears from there, the reminder of his loss and grief weighing him down heavy on the mattress as his failures came to a head. His body shook with the forcefulness of his sobs, the monitors beeping in the room until the doctor or Jadira would rush in to soothe him and put a relaxant in his IV.

It was always a similar dream; Gabriel dying, the fire and smoke consuming them.

Some nights, his eyes were the brown Jack had fallen for and loved. Others, they shifted to a threatening red as his voice distorted and beckoned the omega forward.

Although Gabriel was dead, he never left him.

Whether Jack was awake or asleep, the image of his mate and failures haunted him.

Ana didn’t keep track of the times she sat beside her friend and held his larger body in her arms, soothing him with soft words and lullabies while the old soldier fought his demons of loss with tears and shuddered breaths.

The cycle went on and on.

When the night terrors had escalated and caused him to wake up screaming and thrashing, he had been put on mild sedatives and relaxants to soothe his anxiety and pain in the evenings.

All it seemed to do these days was make Jack more mute as he existed in their space, choked with grief as he went through the motions and floated between procedures, sleep, and staring off into nothing.

*

The days bled by slowly after the omega awoke from his coma to find that his world had burned and turned to ash around him. Everything had been turned upside down, leaving him disoriented and scrambling in the dark to make sense of what his place or where his purpose stood in this new perdition. Without his mate or the sight of familiar faces (who had become so much his _family_ ), he felt hollowed and discarded.

With the serum pumping resolutely in his veins, his body healed. However, his spirit made no vast improvements as little by little, Jack’s heart bled for his failures. Given all of this time ‘resting’ and ‘recovering’ allowed his mind to run through every scenario where he could’ve done better; where he could’ve been wiser and made the shot to end the suffering.  He reflected on all of his failures and misgivings, hating himself and the world more for it.

Gone was Overwatch, his agents, his friends, his _mate_.

The omega counted only the days as the season began to change; autumn was in full swing and soon the bites of winter would be chilling their bones.

Days were counted in small milestones of recovery in Dr. Ros’s safe house.

The first time he could feed himself without shaking.

The first day Jack could stand on both legs.

The first day Jack could move about the room in his leg brace without anyone’s guidance, albeit with difficulty in coordination from the intense vertigo.

The first day he could successfully eat without vomiting.

For Jack, he felt like he was on wobbly new-fawn legs, bringing him back to the old SEP days when they had pushed his mind and body to the limits; pumping him full of chemicals and monitoring to see if he’d survive the night. If their investment would be fruitful. Edges frayed and weathered with abuse as the doctors prayed they could get the right concoction for a well-trained killing machine and not another rejected lab rat.

Jack falters repeatedly, but pushes forward through sheer stubbornness. Gabe had always said it was in the blonde’s nature to be steadfast about whatever it was he put himself in; whether it was baking, fixing a car, or commanding his agents. It is some shadow of his former self, egging him on even though his spirits are eroded and bare. His driving force begins to pull from a deep anger and bitterness for revenge.

That, and for the last remnants of Gabriel. His son continued to grow steadily in his womb, kicking and pushing as the delivery date grew nearer.

Jack stumbles, curses, picks himself back up, and tries again.

Of course, with extra pounds of weight in his mid-section, his center of balance was off as he tried to position himself for comfort and breathe through the unrelenting kicking and moving his son so seemed to enjoy. In his third trimester, there wasn’t a whole lot of room for the infant to stretch about as the omega’s biology did little to lend to it.

However, his son gave the omega a reason; a purpose to move out of bed, heal, and eat.

Ana was there to encourage and guide Jack back to the land of the living. Her scent was a welcome familiarity in the midst of all the stark newness. With Jadira’s help, she guided Jack during his physical therapy as he re-learned old skills and grew in independence. Scarred and still heavily bruised, he was a vision when his stubbornness kicked in as he pushed himself to walk without the brace, wincing as Yafe stood behind him, ready to catch the older man if he fell.

Ana sighed as she watched the omega who certainly looked like he had seen better days. The figure struggling to walk before her was a shell of the man she had known most of her adult life.

Most notably, all of his hair had been shaved off in order to attend to his head trauma more easily and attach the nodes needed to monitor his brain activity when he slept. Most of his skin was still marred with bruises and raw from where the burns had been treated, but not fully healed. Dark circles still shadowed his eyes a deep, unnerving discoloration that flip-flopped between better and worse as the good doctor did her best to attend to his ocular damage with some new biotic therapies.

It was a slow, painstaking process, but he still healed and fared better than any average person would have. His body accepted each treatment with little issue, as if attending to a machine that needed tune ups.

“If it wasn’t for his enhancements, I’m certain his son wouldn’t have survived.” Dr. Ros was going over his health chart while she sat beside the younger omega woman. “I just uploaded the updates for the ultrasound machine this morning. I would like to see how the little one is doing today and whether or not we can pinpoint a due date.”

“It might lift his spirits.” Ana agreed gently. “His heart could use some good news.”

Dr. Ros hummed an affirmative as she glanced back through the charts. It had been almost a month since the former Strike Commander had come to her able hands at death’s doorstep. Looking through his files now, it was nothing short of a miracle and a firm nod to advanced medical science that he was even alive and functioning. The blast nearly cut off his femoral artery, but he was saved a few inches to the right where the debris had fallen. His head trauma and sensory wounds were appalling, but the enhancements had been quick to begin repairing as soon as the wounds were inflicted.

It was a wonder at all that he had survived, and that Ana had reached him in time before the smoke did.

The prognosis looked good, but the road to full recovery would be tedious and painful.

“I know this has been an expensive and lengthy process for you, and I apologize. If we are encroaching or have overstayed our welcome, we have other safehouses-“

Dr. Ros set her hand on top of Ana’s, “You speak nonsense.”

“You were crazy to even accept us here.” Ana frowned.

“My family still owes you a debt from the Omnic Crisis.” Dr. Ros smiled contemplatively, “You saved our town and my family home from being flattened by the omnics. Consider this repayment for our lives.”

There was silence for a moment of memories from a not so far-off time came forward in their minds.

“Thank you, Alessia.” Ana whispered, eyes downcast.

Dr. Ros glanced back over to her patient, assessing as he moved with a noticeable gait in his walk. It was certainly improving and scans would need to be made after the physical therapy to track his muscle and bone healing. With the serum still pumping through his body, he was an easier recovery than most burn and trauma victims.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. When the infant is born, you will both need a clean, safe, and _calm_ environment to recover.” Dr. Ros offered, “I can assist you for the next few months, but I think it will be good for you to move come the New Year. I don’t want you to get too comfortable in case there are factions out looking for him.”

“Agreed. I already have our next safe point secured.” The omega replied, “By January we will be on our way to the next safe point.”

The doctor nodded in approval, “Until then, I will be happy to assist in his recovery. I will begin discreetly making preparations for the birth and procure the necessary vaccines for the infant. All will be well.”

“All will be as it should.” Ana echoed, her heart twisting as she thought of Gabriel distantly in her mind and hoped she was fulfilling the promise she had made to him months before.

_She hoped that the alpha would be proud._

*

When Jack first saw himself in a mirror, he had huffed a sigh and muttered, “The outside matches the in.”

He wanted to walk away and avoid the image that stared back at him for the rest of his life.  

Still, he remained in front of the mirror, naked after his shower as he turned to the side and ran his hand over his distinctly rounded abdomen, grimacing.

He thought bitterly of all of the posters he used to see of vibrant, joy-filled omegas cradling infants or their own perfectly rounded stomachs. They were a far-off cry from his own mirror image. He wasn’t the exuberant poster of health and wellness that he should’ve been, nor was his stomach as large as it should've been for most omegas at this stage in their pregnancy.  

He was thinner than he needed to be; a loss of muscle mass both from the incident and from longer before when the stress began to eat away at his bones and liveliness. He was not emaciated or without the thick chord of muscle wrapping around his frame, but it had been notably diminished in comparison to months before.

His skin was sallow, bruised, and puffy pink in areas that were still healing. His face especially looked the most changed- darkness around his eyes as they healed and two large scars slashing across his face as a bright reminder of the betrayal and loss he felt.

Some areas of him had grown. His midsection was obvious now with child, but the packed muscles of his abdomen still held as firmly as they could, relaxing little and giving him more of an appearance of a round curve. He had seen how omegas all carried differently, but his hip bones had relaxed only a small amount to accommodate the growth, the baby all situated at the low front where his muscles cramped and skin stretched to accommodate. At seven months pregnant, it was killing his back.

The omega trailed his hands up his bare chest, cupping his pectoral muscles. They had always been larger; a favorite of his husband to play with and a great pleasure center for him. His pectoral muscles had also grown, looking more soft and supple (despite the bruises) where his nipples had darkened and puffed for the impending milk supply. He squinted his eyes as he looked at his side profile, frown deepening as he noticed how pert the swollen nipples were. It was mildly befuddling to connect that the image he was seeing in the mirror was still indeed his body; the same body that crushed omnics with his hands and scaled walls in battezones while carrying wounded soldiers. It had changed so much in just a few months, and Jack wondered if he had ever actually _looked_ at himself in a mirror during his pregnancy.

With everything that had been going on, he had little time to relish in the small joys that came from impending parenthood.  

He ran his hand over his stomach, sighing when a responding nudge came back.

Jack looked back up to his glowering reflection.

The hair that was growing back was so fair; he swore it was more silvery-white than blonde. It had thinned out considerably after they had shaved it all off, the hairs sticking close to his scalp as the cooler weather was setting in. Most of the time he wore a beanie to keep himself warm and to hide the receding hairline that was now more prominent than ever without the length of his hair to hide it.

Even his eyebrows had been singed off from the fire and were trying to grow back valiantly.

His eyes now, which had never been wide or big to begin with, were no longer the deep ocean blue Gabriel had so loved.  They were now a softer, milkier periwinkle color as they attempted to heal from the ongoing care. They were still clouded in some areas, healing from the addition of treatments Dr. Ros had him on. His vision was improving from the medicines, but items farther away from him were blurry and difficult to read or make out.

Jack used to be vain in his younger years; he knew what effect he had on others by his looks and charm. Knew what effect he had on his mate when he would look at him a certain way with eyes roving, filled with promise. He could charm the pants off of nearly anyone when he was younger and set on it, but now…

The omega dresses and turns out the light, ashamed and frustrated with himself.

He limps back to the hospital bed where, in an effort to make it more ‘homely’, Jadira had set a warm colorful quilt to bring some cheer to the room. The old soldier sits on the edge, head bowed as he wonders how Gabriel’s family is handling the news of their deaths. The Reyes family, who were all so vibrant and loving would be shattered by the tragedy and loss of Gabriel, his mate, and their unborn child.

His mouth twists as he runs his hand across his forehead. He reflects back to when Gabriel had video called his family to announce that Jack was pregnant before the media got wind of it. There had been such openness and excitement, it gave Jack a feeling that maybe, just maybe they would have a chance at some normalcy with a baby shower, family gatherings, and normal family milestones.

The wandering hopeful thoughts do nothing but hurt Jack’s heart.

He knows his own family is mourning, in their own way. His younger sister, Sarah, and his mother would be devastated by the news. He knows his father would also feel something, their relationship having improved once Jack had ’made something of himself’.

_Family._

It is an unpleasant subject best left buried under the layers of autumn leaves.

*

When the blonde was in high school, he remembered his history teachers favored showing old clips, movies, and documentaries on war and world events repeatedly in class. In the darkened classroom, most students found a reprieve to take a nap…except for Morrison. The omega used to enjoy history and followed every detail closely. He memorized facts and dates like a database, giving his teachers some confidence that at least _someone_ was learning something.

Now, watching the news after the fall of Zurich was like reliving a nightmare again and again.

Dr. Ros had tried to restrict him from watching any triggering content that could be a detriment to his health and recovery, but Jack snuck into Ana’s room while she was out one afternoon and was able to reroute the restrictions in order to see what was happening in the world, away from his capsule in a villa in Italy.

Watching the current news and the recorded news from weeks back remind him of his Junior year in high school; viewing old war documentaries in a darkened room with a sick fascination. This time, he is one of the stars of the show, as his name and all of the lies along with it spill from the reporters’ mouths. He cares less about his name and the lies they spew on him. What bothers him most are the lies and allegations they make towards his mate.

The news media still hadn’t pin-pointed a terrorist group responsible for the Zurich bombings, but it could’ve been any terrorist faction with weight in the world who could be named suspect. Even his own mate is named as among those who wanted to see Overwatch fall, painting the Blackwatch Commander as a rogue agent.

When the news reporters become nauseating, he finds another recording that tightens his throat with emotion.

He is planted on the edge of the bed in abject horror and fascination, incapable of turning off the TV as Strike Commander Jack Morrison is buried in Arlington, alongside his mate, Gabriel Reyes. Their tombstones are big, but nowhere near as grand as others before them. They are humble in a way; befitting the couple who had dedicated and sacrificed their lives for the cause. 

The Morrison and Reyes families are both there, their faces and grief flashed briefly for the view of the public as news reporters attained private photos from the small funeral of only family and close friends. No media had been allowed for the family services where the soldiers’ ‘bodies’ were laid to final rest.

He wonders whose burned remains are buried under his tombstone. (Which he morbidly thinks is a lot better than that ridiculous statue.)

Tears stream down his face as Cassandra Reyes lays flowers on Gabriel and Jack’s graves; she had loved them both and had felt more like a mother than even his own. Images of the Morrison family were there as well, surrounded by former Overwatch agents.

He sits in Ana’s room for hours, going through all of the clips until it does nothing but add more flames to the burning anger in his belly, and weighted sorrow to his heart.

*

Later that evening, Ana finds him outside.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asks as she sits beside the soldier on the old patio, looking out to the lake where cold rain was falling in heavy sheens.

It is peaceful and serene in the darkness, a perfect backdrop to Jack’s heartache.

Jack had hobbled outside with the help of Yafe, situating himself on a bench where the plant growth overhung and shielded him from sight. The omega was dressed in an oversized jacket, the hood pulled up over his bandaged head and casting most of his face in shadows.

“You wanted me to watch the clips you recorded, didn’t you?”

Ana smirked, “Am I that obvious?”

“Want to explain to me why you lied to me for weeks?” Jack shot back, a frown etched on the corner of his lips. “Why you faked your _death_?”

Ana knew the question had been coming. She had answered it time and time before, but never in full details. Jack had been too out of sorts to comprehend much of what she had been saying, but now his cognitive functions were back, along with all of his in the present emotions and fears.

“I knew to protect the ones I loved, I needed to die. I do not regret it, Jack.”

“Does Fareeha know?”

The older soldier shook her head, “It would be too risky. I knew a clean death would make the most sense if I were to stay in the shadows.”

Jack’s eyes closed in pain, “For weeks I worried, Ana. I worried that you would come back like Amelie…changed and indoctrinated by _Talon_. I had countless nightmares with monsters attached to your face, coming back to destroy us; destroy Gabe or I. Dreams of you hurting your daughter. I never had the peace of burying your body.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. I truly am.” Ana’s breath hitched, her hand finding his. “Things were not going well and after I was injured and pulled from the battle, I knew I would be more help in the shadows than in the light. I never meant to abandon you or Overwatch.”

Jack nodded, thinking clearly enough to understand Ana had never truly left them; she had sacrificed her life in order to protect him and those she loved. He wasn’t selfish enough to begrudge her of it.

“Did you know Zurich headquarters was going to be attacked?”

“No.” Ana answered quickly, “There were rumors of a shoot down or of a big trial, but never of the magnitude of what happened. I had been tracking you and when the blast went off…I acted.”

“So you didn’t know it would happen?”

“Gabriel had asked me a few months back to watch over you while he tried to set his focus on dismantling Talon; a task _you_ entrusted to him after Gerard’s death. I promised I would keep you and the baby safe.” Ana squeezed Jack’s hand where they rested in-between them, entwined. “It wasn’t your time.”

Jack’s jaw clenched as the image of Gabriel’s face came to mind. Dark chocolate eyes gazing soullessly into his with the smell of smoke and blood strangling his senses. His stomach lurched in rage and hurt. “Did _Gabe_ know this was going to happen?”

Ana exhaled, “Not this, Jack. Not to this magnitude. He knew something was wrong, but I don’t think he was ready for what happened.”

“But he knew something was going to happen?”

The sniper hesitated to answer, shrugging as she waved a hand, “We both knew Talon was a part of some of the negative press and leaks, but we couldn’t pinpoint any operations where the encrypted messages were coming from, or from who. There were corrupt agents in Overwatch and in the UN who wanted this to happen.”

The blonde had done his best to heed Gabriel’s warnings on corruptions in Overwatch; had done enough investigations on staff until he was pushed to exhaustion time and time again when nothing of significant value was turning up. He wonders if he should’ve been more diligent- if he had missed something, somewhere. The alpha had been unrelenting on his quest to weed out the bad eggs, but it also made him more paranoid and on edge towards the end.

“I looked over all of the reports for the Zurich attack and it is obvious they’ve been tampered with.  Even your ‘autopsy’ was forged, without any mention of your son or condition.” Ana explained.

“It isn’t right.” Jack’s mouth twisted, “I looked over the list of casualties; all high-ranking leaders, most of them sympathetic to Overwatch. Whoever carried out the attack knew what they were doing to wipe us out.”

“At least our agents are safe. Many of them have taken on new careers elsewhere, some have gone into hiding.” Ana reassured, anticipating Jack’s next question.

The former Strike Commander sighed, shoulders relaxing as he leaned back against the bench, emotionally and physically drained from the day and all the truths he had uncovered.

“So what do we do now?” the blonde questioned, eyes closed as he listened to the pattering of the heavy rain. “The Petras Act passed, Overwatch is gone, and for all intents and purposes, we’re dead. What’s a couple of ghosts to do?”

“It depends…what _do_ you want to do, Jack?” She rested her hands loosely across her lap, mimicking her friend’s posture as she leaned back.

He snorted, “Can’t do much until I’m fully recovered and he’s born.” The omega ran a hand over his stomach, “I can’t take him to Sarah; I have a feeling whoever’s out to get us is watching Gabe’s family and mine very closely for any ‘new additions’. It’ll be too dangerous to leave him with just anyone- especially if he’s enhanced like Gabe and I.”

“So we will raise him.”

“Where? _How_?” Jack sighed deeply, “It’s…it’s not the same without him.”

There is silence for a moment; comfortable and companionable.

“We will stay here for the next few months and in January, I will secure us a location fit to raise an infant with any supplies we need.” Ana answers confidently, her arms now crossed to keep out the cold.

Jack welcomed the chill of the air, “I need to contact Angela-“

“ _No_.”

The blonde nearly jumped at the quick forcefulness of his friend’s response.

The darker skinned woman continued, “We would be endangering her life if she knew we were alive. As hard as it is to separate ourselves from our loved ones, we are protecting them amid all of this chaos. In time, perhaps we will be able to go back, but right now is too dangerous.”

As much as he didn’t like the idea of being away from his close friends, he understood. Dr. Ros was just as able as any other medical doctor at Overwatch. She would serve as his and his son’s primary healthcare provider until the storm was over.

“Fine…I’ll trust you. We’ll do this, somehow.” Jack was still skeptical about raising his son on his own with Ana’s help, but placing his faith and trust in her had never failed him before. She was his second in command in Overwatch and in life. He knew she was an excellent mother as he had watched Fareeha grow under her careful guidance and love.

His son would always be safe in Ana’s watchful care.

“I want to do something productive other than sitting around, Ana. I’m tired of my mind stuck on all the troubles going on. I want to find out what happened to Overwatch; who was responsible for the leaks, the falsified information, the _bombing_ …I want them to pay for what they did.” Jack spoke up, “I don’t want Gabriel’s death to be in vain…I owe it to him to find out the truth and make things right.”

“Make things right?”

“Destroy whoever attempted to destroy us.”

Ana hummed, a smile on her lips, “I have sources around the world we can tap into. I have a source- a friend whose a hacker of sorts. I have a whole laundry list we can choose from to set things right.”

“Might as well make ourselves useful while we’re dead.” Jack smirked, the idea of revenge cooling the anger in his veins. “Let’s start planning and tracking our leads.”

“I’m already ahead of you there. Sorry, _habibi_ , but I’ve had this in the plans since before even my own ‘untimely death’. There are many issues that need addressing…Hakim in Egypt, _Los Muertos_ in Dorado, the Shimada-gumi in Japan, Deadlock in the US, _Talon_ …”

“Gabriel had to have had more reports on Talon…all the way up until the end, he was obsessed with tracking them down. I barely saw him because of it.”

“I’m working on obtaining those files from a source. All your personal affects, and his, were confiscated before Zurich. I know Gabriel kept backups, but to which safehouse, I am not sure. I have not wanted to leave you while you’ve been recovering.”

The younger man nodded, “I understand. You could leave now to recover information, though. This will give me a purpose again; something to fight for.”

“Revenge looks good on you, Jack.” Ana smirked as she stood up. “You can count on me to be with you til the end. It will be my pleasure to see justice served.”

“For Gabriel.” Jack stated confidently.

Sadness registered across the older woman’s eyes. She nodded somberly, “For Gabriel.”

*

_Weeks before, a lifetime_

Gabriel Reyes has had _time_.

He loses track of exactly how many days go by where his body dies and regenerates anew over and over again, each time more painful than the last as his stomach growls and cramps for sustenance to keep him going. An aching need that radiates through every pore in his body, driving him mad with want for something he doesn’t fully comprehend.

Days click by as he wanders from city to city, desperate for a safe house to keep him away from the public and the burning ache he wishes to quell.

The alpha was disoriented; more often than not, his mind dissociated as whatever it was that was inside him took over, leaving him waking up in new hideaway posts he didn’t recall. The nanites inside of his body (and that was using the term loosely for him) were dying and regenerating faster than he could handle. They pulled at what little energy he had, leaving him feeling weak and sore.

He needed to _feed_.

He was somewhere in Germany. The language on the signs and coming from the citizens’ mouths in the darkness of night told him as much. He watched them from the shadows, jaw clenched tightly as his hunger pulsed more prominently than a heartbeat, encouraging him to see a bright reddish-light at the left hand side of a person’s chest where a heartbeat and a _soul_ blazed strong.

It disturbed him before, this new sight, but he was accepting what he was quicker than was expected, perhaps egged on by the nanites which made his skin buzz in nervous trepidation to kill and eat. He watched all of the prey from the cover of the alleyway, eyes a reddish glow as he felt his teeth sharpen, ready to eat the souls of the living.

He had tried to eat human food before to satisfy his needs, but all it had caused him to do was vomit violently, the nanites almost chiding him for being so foolish as to try and trick them.

Gabriel wasn’t surprised by what he had become…Perhaps it was because he knew all along that Angela couldn’t cure him of whatever poison Talon had injected into his veins, or whatever demon it was that possessed him. His senses had been heightened to a point where they were almost painful and overwhelming.

The dark-skinned man saw things the average human couldn’t; felt and heard new _sensations_ undocumented by science.

The hunger, most of all.

His first victim had been an addict.

For most of the night, he watched the local bar where drug exchanges were being made outside in the alleyway. He figured that if he were to kill anyone, he would feed on the scum of the earth whose souls beat just as bright and red as any other.

It was a man in his 30’s, a dealer and an addict all the same that he followed back to a run-down apartment in a rougher area of Munich. Gabriel drifted a distance behind him, tracking his heartbeat as the addict sat on his couch and injected himself with whatever paraphernalia he had on him.

Knowing that a kill was imminent, his body changed; he could feel his limbs grow longer, nails sharpening as the excitement to feed sung throughout his being. The nanites trembled in eagerness as the monster drifted under the floorboards, materializing behind the glassy-eyed civilian soundlessly.

_The perfect predator._

Reyes couldn’t focus on anything but the intense hunger as he came before the man, gripping his throat tightly, muting any sounds from the addict as oxygen was deprived of his lungs. He watched the life drain out of him, the Reaper’s mouth opening wide as he inhaled, drawing forth the red orb from the man’s throat, pushing through his twitching body as the addict’s skin grayed, eyes rolling to the back of their head as the soul was drawn before him.

As if he had done this his whole life, the demon sucked the soul into his own mouth, consuming the bright delicious heat that warmed down his throat and settled at his core, beating loudly and strongly through his veins.

The addict’s body slumped dead while Gabriel stepped back, gasping.

All at once, the hunger began to quiet- he began to feel more _human_.

The feeling was one to relish in for a long while, each part of his body settling into a familiar human form as wisps of blackened smoke rose off him. The sting of decay and regeneration lessened, though he knew he would have to consume more souls in order for it to quiet completely. He was still hungry, but no longer with the desperate mindlessness that was driving him mad for forever.

Gabriel searched the man’s bedroom for a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. He found the biggest size, covering his naked body even though the biting cold outside did little to bother him. He wanted to feel some normalcy; cover himself as any decent _human_ would. Afterwards, he went to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror for the first time since he was first deformed.

The alpha looked human, but his skin color had paled and his veins were darkened and prominent under his skin. His eyes sockets were blackened where his own eyes were bloodshot and haunted.  He wasn’t expecting to look completely normal, but it was a relief that he looked somewhat more alive than dead. His eyes were not glowing and his teeth, although more pointed, were not the mouth of a killing machine.

The collar of the shirt was moved aside to reveal his scarred mating mark. He pressed his hand over the old wound and closed his brown eyes tightly, attempting to feel Jack on the other side. He had been trying every day, hoping that a nudge would answer back- an inkling of Jack’s life somewhere he hadn’t searched before.

However, there was nothing but the buzzing numbness of quiet. The bond ached like a phantom limb that twitched as it tried to reconnect with his body. Incomplete synapses firing from the brain to a dead end out into the void.

_Jack._

Without his mate, without his son, without Overwatch and Blackwatch and the purpose he had felt with his family...he was without.

Barren and stranded in this dark mess.

Marooned in hell. 

Knowing what he is now, an inhuman monster who consumes souls, he decides to keep himself far away from his loved ones in California; far away from the agents who had been so much his family even though he could track them down by their heartbeats alone. He fears that all he will see in them is their bright, enchanting souls beckoning him to devour. Even with his mother, he fears that a loving embrace will cause him to pull her soul from her lips and swallow it whole. 

He _hungers_ \- he desires to kill and feed.

It is slowly causing him to lose his mind and keep control over his actions.

He is a monster, through and through, his flesh paled and decaying off in patches as his cells rapidly regenerate, slough off, and rebuild. There is no brightness in his eyes when he looks up; no emotions to betray the turmoil of his decision to stay away from his family and friends.

It is better that they think him dead and lost.

In a way, he _is_.

Back in the main room, he covers the addict’s body with a blanket and lifts him, discarding the remains in the tub. He will make it look like an overdose before he leaves, covering his traces from those who may be following him. He has no doubt that Talon is searching for their investment.

Gabriel switches the channel to the news and locates a holo-pad, his bodily form more familiar to navigate as he sits back in the chair and begins to uncover what exactly had happened in Zurich. He is ready to consider all of the sources as his own revenge rung loudly in his ears. Tomorrow, he will navigate to his first safe house and recover his personal data. From there, his plan would be mapped out delicately without fail.

He has already experienced the agony of the loss of his mate and child; he knows he has nothing left to lose as Gabriel Reyes had died in that blast along with his mate.

He has died every day since, over and over again. Tears not only from the physical pain, but the understanding that his true mate was six feet underground, along with their future and all of the joy and happiness the dark skinned man could ever experience in his existence.

The alpha decides he will reap what he sows and finish what he had started in his life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like writing flashbacks….This chapter is setting us up for the next, wherein Jack gives birth and we find out more about Gabriel/Reaper and Talon.  
> And holy shit, over 500 kudos!? I’m speechless, friends. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my angsty ABO mpreg fic. ;__; I’m glad I can share my kinks with everyone!
> 
> Come send me writing prompts or say hello~  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	7. Asunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore god hath joined together, let not man put asunder." -Bible, Matthew 19:6_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for semi-graphic depictions of birth. If you’re squeamish or that’s just not your thing, please skip ahead. Slight mentions of suicidal thoughts. This chapter is heavy, but the next chapter has more family feels in it.

 

In the quiet moments, Jack’s mind wanders.

He knows he is being a sentimental old fool when he thinks back on all of the happier moments he had shared with his mate. There is little else to do when the silence fills the space between physical therapy and watching the world go by, and Jack takes comfort in knowing that he and Gabriel had truly shared some good times in their chaotic lives.

One of his favorite memories was when he and Gabriel used to sneak out after hours on base back during their SEP days. They would wait until past curfew, shuffling in their sweats out towards the ‘reenactment’ field to make camp inside of a tank simulator, grinning the whole way there. They used to drink shitty contraband beer while they bonded over their love of old 90’s sitcoms and classic rock, as well as shit-talking the higher ups.

_(How Gabriel found the beer remained a secret til this day, but Jack guessed it must’ve been from one of the older techs in the machinery department  who enjoyed Gabriel’s sense of humor.)_

Looking back, they might not have been the best influence for one another in terms of doing things _exactly_ by the rules, but they provided a shelter for each other to weather the storms that were the injections, training, the Omnic Crisis, and the intensity of military life

They worked well together; anyone could see it both on and off the field.

So when the serum began to mess with their hormones and Jack’s heat hit him unexpectantly, many figured Gabriel would ‘take care’ of his roommate. The officials couldn’t stop a group of enhanced super soldiers from keeping their equally enhanced libidos celibate. Thus, medical issued out appropriate ‘sexual wellness’ materials and the recruits were ordered to keep it within the dormitory rooms.

It wasn’t common knowledge that Jack was an omega. Everyone presumed he was an odd smelling alpha or beta. Enough people assumed so, and no one typically asked about designations. It was rude to be so nosy.

Jack couldn’t hide the fact that he was an omega.

His fellow peers could care less about his designation. Most of them praised Jack for hiding it for so long, while the higher ups issued demerits for when he was through with his heat.

Jack had few concerns once he knew he wasn’t about to get kicked out or shamed for his designation.

However, Gabriel was an _alpha_ and Jack’s roommate.

The blonde had worried that Gabriel would be upset with him for lying and request a room transfer. Even though their small apartment-like dorms meant they didn’t have to share a bedroom, they were still in the same close living space.

Instead of being upset or disgusted, Gabriel had stood in the narrow doorway to Jack’s room, warm brown eyes filled with concern.

“Do you need me to grab anything for you? I can get you some beer. I also have a few chocolate bars stashed away.” Gabriel had offered. He wasn’t making sexual comments or taking deep breaths to catch a whiff of Jack’s enticing heat scent. He wasn’t berating his roommate for lying to him, either. He was concerned about _Jack_ , not his designation.

A more vulnerable, gentle part of the alpha came through, and Jack began to realize that those feelings bubbling in his chest every time he saw his roommate weren’t just a fleeting crush.

“I already got some meds from the doctor.” Jack replied when he rolled to his side, knees pulled up in a fetal position where a heating pad was soothing the annoying cramps. he knew sex could help alleviate the ache and make his heat go away quicker, but taking on a sexual partner during heat wasn’t something Jack felt ready for. He hadn’t had a heat since he was in high school and this one was hitting him roughly with the cocktail of drugs flowing in his body.

He was certain that if he left his room, he could easily find some willing partners to shack up with, but none of them were Gabriel and that was the problem.

He wanted Gabriel.  

They had exchanged a few buzzed kisses in the old army tank, as well as a couple of heated make-out sessions on the couch when the serum was especially tampering with their libidos. Gabriel was an excellent kisser and could drive Jack into a pile of loose-limbed need just from his tongue and lips, but they’d never gone past first base.

Jack’s eyes had shifted to Gabriel’s mouth.

This time was different, though.

Jack was vulnerable in his condition. Sure, he could kick the ass of any alpha, beta, or omega otherwise, but his heat was still a burden. He dealt with the cramps, the cold sweats, the rapid breathing, the slick, the fever, and the annoying, unwanted hard-ons within the quiet of his room.

Gabriel never asked to fuck him. Even though Jack’s scent was like icy cold lemonade on a hot summer day, Gabriel respected their boundaries and only came in to check on his roommate’s well-being while offering some conversation to keep Jack’s mind at ease.

Jack noticed the alpha’s hard-on, but the two could laugh about it later. They kept things easy between them.

So despite what many were rumored to believe, Jack and Gabriel didn’t have sex or mate when Jack’s first heat on base broke out.

Though Gabriel certainly ‘took care of him’ by bringing him food, checking his temperature, and, admittedly, letting Jack cuddle against him on the couch while they watched their favorite old sitcoms in the late evening when training/injections were over and neither could sleep.

They didn’t officially have sex and exchange mating marks until Jack’s second heat, which by that point they had been ‘together’ for a while and knew they were it for each other.

_(The second heat had been frustrating for Jack and the medical team who were trying to come up with strong enough heat suppressants.)_

Command wasn’t pleased with having a mated pair in the unit; too many risks, too much of a conflict of interest. By the end of the arguments, they couldn’t release or reassign the pair given how much money, time, and the amount of enhancements that had been invested in them both.

After the initial surprise of their bonding, things went back to ‘normal.’ There was a war to be won and arguing over a pair of soldiers mating was at the bottom of the priority list.

Jack continued to think of those few carefree moments stolen together, as well as the comradery of their unit when given a few precious hours off. It was what kept them all afloat while their bodies advanced. And for many situations, it was those small flashes of goodness they held on to when they saw many of their friends fall behind the veil.

Jack thinks about the crisis; the bloodshed.

He thinks of the night he bonded with Gabriel; both of their hearts beating fast while their bodies moved against one another on the too small bed, gasping and promising one another the world.

His thoughts remain on his mate when the weight of his failures grows too much to bear. Jack has many regrets for how he had treated his relationship with his husband over the last few years; he knows he should’ve been a more devoted and patient spouse, a better friend, lover and partner. It grew worse after the London Uprising and the media backlash that ensued, but what else could he have done?

The world needed to be saved.

He could attempt to write a list of all of his faults and wrongdoings, but it wouldn’t be enough.

He was an old fool; left with the thoughts and memories of a dead man.

How many times could an old fool apologize?

*

*

The ultimate ‘fuck you’ from biology came when Jack awoke in his room with uncomfortably heated skin and slick trickling from between his thighs. 

It was a pregnancy heat; something Dr. Ros had warned him would come once his body was well enough and his hormones could right themselves again. It wasn’t unusual for omegas to experience a light heat, but Jack had been dreading it all the same.

Typically, pregnant omegas had mates they could rely on to help them situate a nest in their bed, offer them the comfort of scenting, and solidify their bond.

His body was trying to ‘reconnect’ with his mate even though Gabriel was gone.

Jack growled in frustration and anger in his small room, nerves on edge whenever footsteps passed by his door. He was aggravated with the heat; pained that he had no mate and upset with his body for pulling this trick on him when he was already grieving.

Dr. Ros was in and out of his room, monitoring his vitals while he weathered his heat with the aid of herbal teas and light doses of medicine. He was desperate for any type of comfort, and accepted the medical alternatives with no questions asked.

Ana’s scent is what makes most of his heat somewhat bearable.

Her familiar scent smooths Jack’s edges and the annoying buzzing of his skin seems to lessen the moment her hand cards through his short hair, rubbing at the sensitive skin to lull him.

It was a trick Gabriel used to do, all the way back to when they were young men sitting on an ugly blue military issued couch, watching _Seinfeld_ reruns _._ When Jack’s body struggled with the enhancement serum, making him dizzy and light-headed, Gabriel would mollify it with sure, deft hands.

“You are doing so well, _habibi_.” Ana reassured him while she sat cross legged on his small bed, his weary head in her lap while fingers massaged from his shoulders to the top of his head. “Pretty soon this curse will be lifted.”

“Why do we never get relief from our heats?” Jack grumbled. “I should just have the doctor take me out of the gene pool after this.”

Ana chuckled, “Not a bad idea, but it is too precise a procedure. I only have so many affiliates.”

“I knew you had many cards up your sleeve, but never so many decks.”

“It is a privilege as we get older; to know so many people with rare talents.”

Jack hummed, “Know anyone who can raise the dead?”

Ana’s fingers paused minutely, a frown etching on her lips. She continued her ministrations with a firmer touch. “No one is capable of raising the dead. Gabriel is at peace now.”

“Is he?” Jack’s eyes were still closed, eyebrows at rest though his voice echoed his doubt. “I feel him sometimes, Ana. I feel him when I dream.”

“Jack-“

“I hear him when I sleep. Everything is dark and I can’t see him clearly, but there is a shadow in front of me and for whatever reason, it’s him. I just know it’s _him_.” Jack recalled sternly. “I can feel my heart pulling towards him, but there’s static- I try to reach him, but it grows colder and he melts away before we can touch. It’s always _the same_.”

Ana was silent, her fingers still.

“Sometimes, he calls back out to me. Other times, everything turns to red and I wake up to the sound of his voice as if he’s whispering in my ear.”

The older omega shook her head, “You are having nightmares due to your separation.”

Jack sat up to level his eyes with hers. “Am I going crazy?”

Ana’s eyes softened, “You’re not going crazy, Jack. The stress of the situation is getting to you.”

Jack huffed a laugh, a self-depreciating smile marring his face. “I want to visit his grave…I want to actually _see_ his body to know he’s- to know that he’s there. I know my body wasn’t buried alongside his in Arlington, so how can we be sure the other body is Gabriel’s? How _fucked_ is that, Ana?”

Her hand reached out to squeeze his shoulder. “You’re getting flushed again. Please, lie down. I’ll go grab you a washcloth for your forehead.”

“I’m going insane.” Jack laughed, eyes watering. He ran a hand across his eyes, miserable from the torture of his hormones and mind.

Dr. Ros came back to the room with Ana and Jack felt only slightly betrayed.

*

When Jack’s torturous heat was finally through and his health check-up came back clear, the doctor decided to have a follow-up ultrasound to see how the fetus was progressing.

This time around, Ana sat beside him, eyes alight with excitement.

For all of Jack’s worries over the past few weeks between physical therapy and his heat, seeing his son moving around and actually looking like a fully formed fetus eased some of the nervous anxiety in his veins.

“Have you thought of names at all?” Dr. Ros asked, amused to see Jack smiling genuinely for once. She roved the wand across his taut-skinned abdomen, feeling no need to point out the fetus’s features as they were quite clear on the screen.

“No idea. Gabriel did mention a biblical name might be nice; it’s something his mom and grandma would’ve liked.”

“You should do your research soon, then. Your child is almost ready. Just a few more weeks are left for him to strengthen his lungs and gain some more weight.” The doctor paused the image on the screen to switch to audio. The sound of a rapid heartbeat flooded the small room.

“I can help you, if you’d like.” Ana offered.

Jack nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Admittedly, Jack hadn’t been too keen on naming his son. He always imagined it would be Gabriel who would hold the infant and devise the perfect name. Or at least, Jack could run any of his ideas by his husband to see what they both liked.

Without him, Jack felt out of place. He wished he could’ve been able to contact Gabriel’s family and ask his mate’s mother to provide a suitable name, but that was out of the cards.

“We will look together.” Ana nudged him, pulling him away from his heartache. “We have plenty of time to make a list.”

The younger omega smiled, “You know, I think Gabe would’ve entrusted this honor to you.” He chuckled, “I’ve never been good with names. I named my family dog ‘ _Sparky_.’ It was pretty lame.”

Ana snorted. “We will pick something much better suited than that.”

*

A few days after the ultrasound, Jadira and Ana came back from the markets looking troubled.

One look at their faces and Jack knew that the peace they had been enjoying over the last few months was over. Yafe had already gone back to Africa to attend to the troubles going on in Numbani, while Jadira was set to leave later the week to join him.

His first thoughts were to Numbani, but Ana stopped him from reaching for the TV to catch the World News.

“We need to leave.” Ana ushered him to get up while Jadira went down the hall to begin packing medical supplies for the duo. Dr. Ros soon appeared in the doorway, frazzled.

“I uploaded the coordinates to your private account. If you leave within the hour, you can get safe passage from a friend of mine.” Dr. Ros spoke to Ana hurriedly.

“What the hell is going on?” Jack groused, panic setting in while he attempted to pack his duffle bag with what scarce items he had.

“ _Talon is here_.” Ana seethed, her frown tight with concern. “Those snakes are tracking down Overwatch affiliates. I didn’t want to believe they’d come here, but one of my devices caught wind of them just half an hour ago. This is Alessia’s public address, so it is no longer safe for us here. They are looking for her, but they will find us in the process. We must hurry.”

Jack didn’t need to ask any further questions. He straightened and began to help Ana pack what few things they could carry in order to make a hasty retreat.

There was little time to say goodbye when their safety was in the balance.

Jack was in better shape now than when he initially came, but his condition still held him vulnerable. Jadira set up for them to travel south before taking ship to Spain where coordinates to a safe house had been supplied. There, Jack and Ana would wait until Dr. Ros could secure a safer route to meet with them.

The group had little time for goodbyes once they packed and dressed in casual civilian clothes. Jack and Ana wore warm winter wear, digital face generators, and hats to mask their appearance.

They walked up the steps to the back cellar, taking a secret door to escape the villa.

Ana took Jack’s hand and squeezed it tight.

“Good luck. Both of you. May the spirits keep you safe.” Jadira imparted on them rushed hugs.

She slid a small pistol into Ana’s hands.

“Take care of yourself.” Ana whispered back and pocketed the weapon.

*

*

*

He knew it was bound to happen, no matter how far or how much energy he put into consistently moving from point to point while trying to clean up his haphazard trail; they would find him.

Gabriel had never been messy with his missions; he was always a perfectionist with the planning, execution and clean-up. However, the hunger was only growing worse and his mind was dissociating more often than the bouts of rare lucidity he was afforded.

He knew he was losing the battle with this _thing_ when he lost a whole two weeks of time, waking up more sated but with a larger stain of red in his ledger.

He didn’t know who he had killed or how many there had been, but he felt the souls of his victims thrum through his veins, providing him sustenance.

After that bout, Gabriel stopped looking into mirrors to understand how his body was changing.

It became more difficult to hide when the newspapers caught wind of the odd corpses that were being logged into the coroners’ offices. Bodies that were shell-like husks with no identifiable causes of death other than the heart just _stopped beating_. No blockages, no masses, no ruptures or wounds.

He fled somehow to the outskirts of Denmark, hoping for the cold to take him, but the chill of the air did nothing. He couldn’t feel the same way a human could.

He couldn’t drown, slice, or destroy what he was.

He tried, but every time, the nanites pulled him back together, denying him a release from this hell.

_How could he die when he himself was death?_

Gabriel struggled to keep himself sane when he wandered into a small town along the northern coast, only traveling in the darkness of night where he could easily blend in. A part of him ached for some kind of human contact, even just a person to talk to momentarily that he wouldn’t have a desire to kill and feast upon.

His resolve weak and mind weary, he was at the end of his rope.

Body starved, he lost track of time.

He couldn’t contain this _thing_ within him, and when he came to again to find himself in a small family home, the bodies of the parents and a child on the ground, he had given up.

He stayed there, waiting. He hid when neighbors found the decaying bodies a few days later. The police came, the coroners, the investigation team; all the while, Gabriel hid in the shadows, watching quietly until they left and he materialized back on to the ground.

He waited, knowing they were following his whereabouts.  

He needed answers. He needed _something_.

Talon eventually came for him there.

They had been tracking their investment since even before the fall of Zurich, all the way back to the almost failed mission in Brazil and his captivity. He had written a report so botched and buried from the truth, he had sworn to never tell his mate the reality of the torture he endured or the experimentations they attempted on his enhanced body.

The first agent threw a power emitter before entering, causing Gabriel’s body to freeze and seize in pain as the nanites buzzed angrily, trying to disintegrate his body into smoke but were held in place. The former Blackwatch Commander didn’t fight it, nearly grit his teeth, red eyes fixed on the door as the agents flooded in.

He didn’t fight back when they circled him and pointed their guns at the ready, fingers on the triggers while one familiar agent stepped before him.

_Of course they would send Amelie._

“You have grown sloppy, Gabriel.” Amelie declared while she glanced around the room where the outlines and markings were for the local investigation unit. She snorted, shifting her gun to the side as she knocked over one of the small flags indicating ‘evidence’. “You have fallen far from grace, _mon ange_.”

She looked more dead to Gabriel than all of the decay of his skin or the bodies he left in his wake. Her eyes held none of the exuberance and wit that had been her trademark in life. She was as dead to him as his life in Zurich, and the feeling tightly twisted in his gut as he thought of Gerard, Ana, and _Jack_.

All of them gone except for him, and he had one foot in the grave, the other in hell.

“ _Tu n’es pas Amelie_!” Gabriel spat.

The woman laughed cruelly as she approached him without fear, causing the other Talon agents to shift unsteadily. She knew Gabriel was an encaged animal, wild and hungry. He was weak in his desperation to escape from his power and from the damage he was causing. Although he looked terrifying, Amelie had seen the face of death and was unmoved while it gazed back.

“I know it pains you so to accept what you are. Talon would like to offer its help; to grant you some _relief_ from your current predicament.” She explained while she knelt down, meeting the wraith at eye level. “You have no control over what or who you are. We can help you, Gabriel. We made you and we can help you stay sane.”

“I don’t need your fucking help!” Gabriel growled, plumes of smoke rising off of his body when he bared his sharpened teeth. “Just kill me if that’s what you’re here for, you bastards!”

“You cannot die. You will continue to kill as the monster’s need to feed grows. You only have a small window of time before it takes over and your mind is lost forever.” Amelie was not deterred by his unsightly appearance or the power pulsating from his form. “I know you can feel it within you and that it is getting worse.”

The commander’s jaw clenched while he thought of the souls of the innocent family he had consumed and the visceral awareness that struck him only after the fact.

He thought of his mother and his family; of never seeing them again for fear of losing his mind and devouring them all.

What if he dissociated long enough for the thing inside him to answer that familial longing; to follow his heart’s want back to Los Angeles?

He thought of human touch and his damned existence to destroy anything he set his eyes to.

“It will grow worse and before you will realize it, it’ll be too late.” Amelie’s eyes never left him, staring cold and calculated at her prey. “You have nowhere to run to and no other options to keep you from killing. Your window is closing.”

Gabriel’s resolve was breaking.

He was tired, so very _tired_ and at the end of his mind.

Talon moved in around him, shooting a series of nets and chains to bind him further down. He pushed against them, unsure of what he wanted to do, but his nanites howled into compliance when the electrical stream of the net buzzed against his skin, causing immense pain while his body tried to shift and churn away from the danger.

Amelie’s booted heels tapped against the floorboards, some sort of tranquilizer gun pointed at his head.

“ _Dors maintenant, Gabriel_.”

The ex-Blackwatch commander closed his eyes and hung his head low in submission, unable to fight back.

_Forgive me, Jackie._

The sound of the gun echoed through his head and reality quickly faded into nothing.

*

*

*

The omega knew he was being difficult.

He growled and paced in agitation, everything setting him off lately. His final weeks of pregnancy battered him with fatigue, restlessness, and an overwhelming desire to bite the heads off of anyone who tried to approach him that wasn’t his mate.

Ana thought it was fortunate that Jack stay secluded and away from the outside world.

The need to catch even the tiniest trace of Gabriel’s scent was unrelenting, Jack’s thoughts a jumbled mess because everything was so _new_ and _wrong_ in this place. It was a chore to get himself settled long enough to relax. His hindbrain supplied that he wasn’t in a secure location, didn’t have a proper nest, he didn’t have the extra protection of his mate during his most vulnerable time, and _Dr. Ros wasn’t here yet_.

He could give birth any day and there was very little in medical supplies to show any type of preparedness. His nest (a bed with a few random blankets they had scrounged up) was a joke, and the supplies needed for an infant were so few and abysmal that Jack couldn’t help but to second guess himself and this decision to go through with this pregnancy.

Another Braxton-Hicks contraction pulled him from his thoughts and he groaned aloud, rubbing at his back as he braced his left forearm against the wall, panting through the cramping pain.

When it subsided, he hobbled over to the threadbare mattress on the floor and sat down.

It was quiet in the basement- No windows or perforation of sound other than the TV that seemed to stay on 24/7 with the news. He could hear the drawl of Spanish where he sat, his head in his hands while his eyes looked at the rustic dirt floor beneath his feet.

They were in Barcelona, Spain.

A very small ache for Jack, who had always wanted to settle in a nice, warm climate like Spain. He imagined Gabe and him would find a nice summer home in the quiet countryside where they could escape all of their duties and arguments.

Now, it dangled in front of him with its false hopes and brokenness.

Ana and Jack were hidden deep within the city in a safe house from Dr. Ros. The basement itself wasn’t in the house’s layout and had been designed to keep refugees or anyone in need of hiding veiled from the outside world. The new location hadn’t been used in a long time, but it had a decent amount of necessities to last them a while.

For Jack, it felt like another cage.

He understood why he needed to be the safe house and why it was best for both him and his son, but instincts were a bitch to resist and tell otherwise. Everything was wrong about this situation.

The only distractions he had were with Ana and getting lost in the endless news about the world after Overwatch.

His small TV was the only window to the outside while he watched and waited, biding his time until he could be useful again. He was still recovering from his injuries, and the addition of a child wasn’t going to speed up the process.

“You should drink the tea I brought you.” Ana’s voice was like lightening crackling in the small room.

Jack only jumped momentarily, his frazzled mind lost in thought. “I don’t want any of that damn tea. The smell makes my nose itch.” He glanced back to the shoddy side table where the offending beverage sat waiting.

“It’s doctor’s orders.” Ana reminded while she approached the vulnerable omega. She ran her hands through his soft, silvery white hair. “You need to keep up your strength.”

“Is the doc here yet?” Jack questioned again, his body leaning into the gentle touch.

 “She will be here in time.” Ana’s hand continued to rub at the sensitive spots on the omega’s head. She persisted when she noticed his shoulders relaxing, his eyes closing from the comfort of a loved one’s touch. He was starved for it and it made her heart twinge in grief for him. She wasn’t his alpha, but she _was_ family.

He was struggling and looked worse for wear because of it.

“I have to leave soon.”  Ana spoke up with guilt. It was not safe for them to be in one spot for too long, and she needed to secure their next location to stay ahead of any possible threats, “I have left fully stocked supplies for you in the cabinet. Food, a few cases of water, and other necessities that you might need.”

Jack pulled away from her hand, his eyes filled with concern and an attempt to mask his anxiety with being alone. “How long this time?”

“A few days, I think.”

“Where?”

“I am not sure yet, _habibi_.” Ana sighed, the exhaustion clear in her voice. She was doing everything she could to assist Jack while also securing them a more permanent location suitable for raising an infant for the first few months. She was glad to do it; glad to keep her closest friend safe. However, the stress of their situation had worn both of their resolves thin.

The soldier didn’t want to ask more of Ana. She had done enough, sacrificing her time and countless opportunities to do more good in the world just so she could stay with him and keep him unharmed. His hand rubbed at his full abdomen, the skin pulled taut across his pregnant stomach. He still was not as big as typical omegas should’ve been, but it was noticeable and cumbersome enough to his movements to be a hindrance.

He couldn’t go with her and the truth of that statement filled him with restless apprehension.  

“I will be back within the week, I promise.” Ana bent forward and kissed Jack’s temple, scenting him lightly. Even in his heartache, the omega still smelled of home and family. It was a more soothing variation of Jack’s usual scent, but his fear and hurt tinged it sour.

_Gabriel had been unable to get enough of his early pregnancy scent._

“I have a burner phone should you need me. I programmed the number in your datapad and I have you listed under ‘seven’.” Ana instructed carefully, “Dr. Ros is under number 3. She should be here soon once it is safe for her to travel. Her ties to Overwatch make her a target and I’m nervous about any mobile threats.”

“Understood.”

It was difficult for Ana to leave, but she would not linger.

Jack had a mission to see to his son’s safe birth, just as Ana had her own work to do. She only prayed that Dr. Ros could establish safe passage to get to them now that Overwatch affiliates were being hunted and watched.

“Notify me of any changes. You know I worry about you.” She drilled the sentiment again, knowing Jack to be stubborn when he didn’t want to bother her on missions.

Jack huffed, “You’re the one going out in the world. I’m fine down here in this shit hole.”

The older woman finished pulling on her masked veil, her face no longer visible. “Take care.”

“You too, Ana.” The omega replied gruffly. He turned to look back at the TV and the news reports in Numbani, missing Ana’s swift and quiet exit through the trap door.

*

*

When watching the news, pacing, and writing out tactics in his notebook proved futile to settle his nerves, he decided to catalogue the items he had access to in the small safe house.

The space wasn’t very large; there was room for an old queen mattress on the ground that currently held his sad excuse for a nest, a side table, an old flat screen TV on a stand, another twin size mattress in the other corner, a desk with various maps and papers spread across it and the wall in front of it, and a bookshelf housing supplies.

There was also a partition in the farthest corner of the room where a small shower and a toilet had been set up beside an old sink.

It wasn’t the _worst_ safe house Jack had every stayed in, but it definitely left a lot to be desired.

Beside the storage shelves were boxes of MREs, cases of water bottles, and a few backup generators. Ammo and weapons were a given, as well as basic toiletries and clothing.

Jack wasn’t so much worried about those things as he was with the items on the third shelf; infant supplies. He scowled at the image of a jubilant, chubby cheeked baby on the front of a few cases of diapers. Worse were the formula, bottles, baby wipes, and tiny onesies. He held the infant clothing in his hand, throat tight with emotion.

Jack had wanted a family, but it was Gabriel who always used to talk about baby things and hat things they could do if they raised a child.

He thought of his husband’s dexterous fingers knitting clothing and blankets for their son. He thought of Gabriel’s perfect scent wrapped around those items, building with him a home and a safe place to call their own.

_Family._

The soldier set the clothing back into the box as if he had been burned.

Overwatch was gone.

His friends were scattered like ash in the wind, and his husband lay six feet underground without a proper goodbye.

He looked about his existence in the small safe house where he would inevitably give birth and frowned.

_And I’m bringing a child into this?_

Jack had been doubting his ability to go through with this pregnancy since the moment he awoke with the taste of smoke and defeat in his mouth. He knew it was a miracle that his son had survived with him in the collapse at Zurich, but he began to wonder more and more what would be the best decision for them once he was born.

He wanted to be selfish and hold the last piece of Gabriel he had to him as close as he could, but what kind of a life was this for a child?

Jack was a soldier.

Jack wasn’t suited to parenthood the same way Gabriel or Ana were. Yes, he loved kids, but he got nervous every time an infant wailed or showed any signs that they were sick. He worried what type of parent he would be…worried if he would turn more into his own parents, loving but held at a distance. He didn’t want to mess up his son because of his own misgivings. He wanted the best for him, even if that meant growing up with an adoptive family far away.

Even if it meant Jack was never able to see him again.

Ana would scold him for thinking so negatively.

It had already been decided that it would be too risky to leave his son out in the open. There was no telling if his and Gabriel’s enhancements would pass down to their offspring. They couldn’t take the chance of Talon or anyone else finding his son.

However, those thoughts didn’t stop Jack’s mind from wandering. He was left with little else to do but to worry and watch.

Miserable in his own self-loathing and negativity, Jack returned to his ‘nest’ to drown out his thoughts with one of the many books Ana had left for him.

_What else could he do?_

*

Ana had been gone for almost a week.

By day five, Jack finally sent her a message.

He had been holed up with little other contact and was growing antsy and concerned.

Before the day was done, she was able to get through to him.

_‘Ran into some complications. En route to home as soon as passage is secure.’_

She was still alive, and that quelled some of the dread in Jack’s heart.

He didn’t tell her that the light contractions he was experiencing were getting worse.

He didn’t tell Ana that he was afraid his labor was coming sooner.  

*

*

He had been aching all day.

Small cramping pains that grew steadily worse while the morning slowly gave way to early afternoon.

He paced along the walls of the room, denying this was happening _now_ of all times. Ana had been gone for eight days now, while there had been silence from Dr. Ros’s side. His due date wasn’t for another two weeks, causing him to delude himself into thinking he had eaten something unagreeable or the Braxton-Hicks were taking on a stronger presence.

When the mucus plug came out, he began to panic.

It is cold in the safe house, but it does little to soothe the sweat from his skin while he paces and worries. He is no stranger to pain, but what he experiences now is on a whole different level.

Groaning long and low seems to help every time there is a strong contraction. He pressed his hands against the wall and steps side to side, trying to bear down from the pain as it radiates from his lower abdomen to the rest of his sore body. He knew he would ache all over, but this is so much more than he had ever imagined.

He has messaged the doctor four times now, and Ana twice.

Jack tries to review what the books had said about birth, but it all comes fuzzy now in his daze of pain and panic. He understands the basics and has had enough field experience to deal with bleeding, handling medical tools, and making a sanitary space, but it all comes to null when he is trying to tamper down his distress. 

When the afternoon slowly begins to bleed into night, Jack resigns himself from hoping anyone will come. He cannot stop this from happening, no matter how scared or unprepared he feels.

The contractions grow stronger and closer together like powerful ocean waves crashing ashore at high tide. It is nearly intolerable when he grits his teeth against a leather belt and rides the agony with each passing moment, his body taut with fear. He cannot call for help in fear of enemies finding him at his most vulnerable.

He’s wearing a long old  shirt and socks, his pants already ruined from the blood and bodily fluids while his body prepares itself for birth.

Towels are laid out on the bed, his ‘nest’, where the mildew and lack of familiar scents burn his nostrils and offer him little reprieve from his stress. His mind stays focused on the pain; grounds himself in the now while he tries to listen to what his body is telling him. To ride the pain when it’s time, and to take deep breaths in-between while he musters his strength for the next contraction.  

Jack has barely eaten, but he pushes through.

He is at risk for many things going wrong. He knows if he bleeds too much or if his son is breached the wrong way, things could go south very quickly.

He cannot focus on the strong smell of agony, despite his unhelpful thoughts reminding him that he is not a young omega, has been through trauma in the pregnancy, is two weeks early, and that he is at a very high risk for complications.

His mind can’t wander.

He soldiers through it.

*

In a cold nondescript nowhere, Jack gives birth to his son.

The final contractions urge him to push, tears welling in his eyes while his whole body tightened in excruciating pain, pushing as hard as he could when he ( _thank the gods_ ) felt his son’s head.

He braces his legs while crouched down and trusts his body to do what is instinctual to it.

Jack and Gabriel’s son is born in the winter months of Spain, the TV playing the news in the background while the generator light flickered overhead.

Jack steadies the wailing infant on to the soft towels, forgetting his own pain and exhaustion when his eyes meet the wriggling life before him. He slowly braces himself to sit back, wincing slightly from the contractions that would inevitably result in the afterbirth.

He pulls off his own shirt, wrapping it around his son to cradle the infant to his heavy breathing chest. His son seems to settle when wrapped around his father’s scent and Jack is quick to check him over.

10 fingers, 10 toes. His cries are loud with strong lungs, his coloring looks normal, and for all intents and purposes, Jack is relieved to see that his child looks well.

The omega wants to pass out, but is anchored down by the new life that glares back up at him.

“Hey, shh, calm down.” The omega soothed his wiggling newborn son. His voice lowered, taking on a softer cadence while he spoke to him. The infant began to settle, hiccupping small gulps of air when he began to recognize his father’s scent.

Jack is propped up by a few blankets and pillows behind him while he gazes down at his son. Dark brown eyes blink back up into awareness; beautiful brown eyes inherited from Gabriel and Gabriel’s mother before him.

His son has wispy brown curls, lighter than Gabriel’s own. Possibly more like his sisters’ hair? Jack runs his fingers across his son’s caramel colored cheeks, enraptured.

Pain pulls him from the tender moment for only a while when the afterbirth comes. He groans, body on edge and overly exhausted. He pulls a sterilized knife from the medical pack and cuts the umbilical cord, wrapping the afterbirth in a bloodied towel and discarding it off of the bed.

He frames the infant close to him while he pulls the clean blankets and sheets up over them, insulating them from the cold outside. The infant makes soft noises against him, soothed by his father’s scent while Jack struggles to keep his emotions at bay.

Once they are warm and secure in the makeshift nest, Jack gazes back to his newborn.

All he can see is his mate’s image looking back up to him.

His thoughts linger on Gabriel’s voice; to Gabriel’s touch and affections.

_How Gabriel should be here now._

Jack wipes the welling of tears in his eyes.

_It wasn’t supposed to be this way._

*

*

*

Gabriel jolted awake, gasping into the sterile darkness.

There was a strong pulling sensation in his chest, his heart beating rapidly to answer the questioning tendril reaching out to him.

_Jack?_

His mind reels from the unmistakable thrum of a bond.

Jack is dead. He died in the blast and has been dead for _months_ now, along with their son, their purpose, and their future.

The sensation flickers and twists into his gut, leaving him gasping and desperate to answer the bone-deep calling to protect and provide.

_Is Jack alive?_

His eyes struggle to make sense of his surroundings. Talon has him laid bare against a table, his body unable to make use of the nanites while they hum into submission from the force of the electrical impulse bindings.

He is frantic when he thinks that Talon might somehow have Jack. Maybe Jack was close by? Perhaps he was imprisoned here, too?

“Jack!!!” he yells out, voice hoarse and raw. He no longer sounds like himself, but he’s hard pressed to care when his mate might be close by.

The alpha cries out his mate’s name over and over again, struggling in his bindings while the machines begin to blare in warning.

The scientists do not ignore his cries. One shuffles in with the familiar dart gun and Gabriel surges with anger, nearly breaking off the bindings to turn and throttle him. The chains begin to snap just in time for the tranquilizer to land in his neck.

He dissolves; his bond weathered and tattered like a war-torn flag.

His chest aches.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever headcanons you have for Gabe and Jack in SEP, you’re welcome to morph them in. I kept the description on SEP somewhat loose for that reason. Though, I really love CoelaSquid’s mention of SEP in their amazing comic! [Please go read it!](https://coecretsquid.tumblr.com/post/156938827978/if-you-flirt-with-him-it-might-briefly-confuse-him)
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! The Reaper76 big bang and summer event starts this month! I have a new fic I’ll be posting on July 8th, so please keep a lookout! :D  
> Also, for the birthing scene...I didn't want to get super graphic with it. I have been in a delivery room when my niece was born and although it was beautiful moment, it was also somewhat terrifying. o__o
> 
> Come send me writing prompts or say hello~ I always appreciate hearing from you all n__n  
> [My tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	8. Abditive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Could I be, was I there?  
> It felt so crystal in the air  
> I still want to drown, whenever you leave  
> Please teach me gently, how to breathe.  
> -Shelter, The Xx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some male lactation mentioned, but it’s not a huge focus in the story, so I didn’t put it in the tags. Slight mention of a miscarriage. We’ll be doing a few time jumps later into the chapter.

 

 

Jack wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself and his newborn son.

His body still ached something fierce, but the soreness was a distant nuisance when compared to the way he felt holding his child and knowing that somehow, against the odds, they both had made it this far. Jack had enough sense to pull out one of the boxes with infant supplies and dress his child in a diaper and warmer wear while also making sure there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary with his son’s appearance or newborn mannerisms.

The child was very small in his large, calloused hands, but his breathing was solid and even. He was very receptive to Jack when he poked and prodded at him, though he didn’t seem pleased. The ex-Strike Commander was worried he had overlooked something, but the infant merely glared back up at his parent, wiggling his hands and feet when Jack tried to get some warmer clothing on him.

The heater in the corner provided some warmth, but it wasn’t enough.

With his child situated in proper clothing, Jack pulled on a warm button-up plaid jacket and some loose sweatpants. He was still lightly bleeding from the birth and wore some sanitary clothing underneath the sweatpants, grimacing when he sat back down on the bed and rearranged the blankets. His ‘nest’ still left him mildly unsettled, but it was a background annoyance now. He had something more to focus his attention on.

Blankets arranged and the pair of them safe and healthy, Jack sent out a message to Ana and Dr. Ros.

_The robin has landed. All clear._

With the simple task finished, he gave into his exhaustion, resting his back against the wall where he had propped up pillows. His son lay asleep against his chest and Jack allowed himself to rest his eyes in order to gain his strength back. It wasn’t unlike sleeping on transportation units back during the Crises; eyes closed, mind a dull buzz while his senses heightened in order to catch anything amiss.

He hoped, in the very far back of his mind where his thoughts met instinctual urges, that Gabriel would be proud of him.

Proud of his strong mate who delivered a healthy child on his own, despite the world stacked against them.

The thought, while bitter and painful with Gabriel’s absence, brought Jack a sense of purpose and resolve. The last gift his mate had ever given to him was sleeping soundly in his arms, and he would do everything in his power to make sure their son had a fighting chance in this world.

He would do whatever necessary to ensure their safety and survival.

*

Ana arrived back to the safe house a day after Jack’s son was born.

“I see the two of you are settling in.” She stated while she secured the locks on the door and approached the omega and his infant carefully, a large bag slung over her shoulder while she carried a smaller package. She kept a safe distance to observe the new father, eyes soft. Despite Jack being ‘family’ to her, new omega parents were fiercely territorial. When Jack seemed to ease with the last click of the lock, he beckoned her forward with a tilt of his head.  

Jack had the newborn at his chest, the infant suckling contentedly while he winced every few moments, still adjusting to the feel. For someone who was designed to kill and take down large omnic threats, it was strange to provide life in such a physical and visceral way.

“You brought painkillers and decent food, right?” Jack sighed, exhaustion clear with the darkness under his eyes and the downward slope of his shoulders. He didn’t need to ask Ana where she had been; he knew she was putting herself out on a limb to recover information. It wasn’t her fault that Jack’s son had decided to come earlier.

Ana advanced towards Jack quietly, a small smile on her face when she noted the infant’s soft sounds. Jack didn’t tense when she sat at the edge of the mattress, and Ana took it as a good sign. She reached out, Jack’s eyes watching her hand intently while it rested over the top of the infant’s wispy brown hair.

“He takes after Gabriel, doesn’t he?” she asked gently.

“Lucky for him, Gabriel always had the better looks.” Jack surmised.

“Is there a name?”

Jack shook his head. “I’ve been waiting for you.” He took in a deep breath and caught the whiff of gun smoke and sand on the fellow omega’s clothes. He noted the bruise on her cheek. The distant whispers of a past scuffle and escape. “Everything okay? Are you hurt?”

“It went as good as it could go, and I am well, all things considered” Ana stated while she walked back over to the duffle bag that had been strewn across her shoulder. She unzipped it, rifling through a few things until she pulled out a dark piece of clothing that made Jack’s heart skip a beat.

“There wasn’t much left on the base in Gibralter, but I managed to find this in Gabriel’s old quarters.” She crossed the distance, holding out a familiar old charcoal gray sweatshirt. “It was one of the few things I could find with his scent.”

The younger man’s heart sank to his stomach.

“Ana…”

She handed the article of clothing over. Jack took it with one hand carefully, his other arm cradling his son against him. He was reverent while he handled it, bringing the clothing up to his face to take a deep inhale of Gabriel’s scent.

It felt like coming home.

Jack’s eyes watered, throat clenching. “How did you-?”

“Every child should know their parent’s scent.” Ana explained while she sat down on the old mattress. “It was the least I could do.”

“ _Thank you_.” Jack’s voice was heavy with emotion, struggling to keep his feelings in check. He pulled his son away for a moment, wrapping the sweatshirt around the sleepy newborn. Doused in Gabriel’s scent, things began to feel only slightly right again.

Ana scooted forward, pulling Jack into a side hug. “Are you feeling well?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Jack whispered, wiping the telltale moisture from his pale eyes.

“May I?”

Jack nodded, carefully handing over his son to Ana’s eager hands. She cradled the child expertly, her voice a light and comforting sound while she spoke to the newborn. Her scent was strong with family and love while her fingers smoothly caressed the infant’s head.

“He is bigger than I thought he’d be, considering how little you were showing. Still small, but perfect.”

“It was a surprise.” Jack maneuvered himself closer to catch more of Gabriel’s scent. It was evident he was scent starved by the way he leaned in towards the child, eyebrows knit in focus.

“And how are you fairing?”

He shrugged. “Still sore, still bleeding a little, but nothing outside of what the doctor had told me would happen. It hurt like hell, but it was worth it.”

“You should get some rest.”

“I will later.” Jack waved off the concern. “Any new intel?”

Ana knew better than to argue with the omega when it came to forcing him to get rest. She gestured back towards the duffle bag. “I managed to retrieve a few database downloads with mission logs on Talon operations. Gerard seemed to have been making headway before his untimely death. It leads me to believe Amelie was planted in our ranks to do more than serve a message, but to wipe his research altogether.”

“Was she successful?”

“Not entirely. Most of our more sensitive information was backed up on outside secured servers, inaccessible unless you were on location or had high- clearance permission, as you know. She managed to get into our servers at a few locations, but Gibralter’s remained mostly intact. Anything under Gerard’s old credentials was erased, but yours were still intact. It was a risk to use your codes, but I think we have some things to go on now.”

“What do you mean by ‘mostly’?” Jack pressed.

Ana worried her bottom lip, “There were obvious signs of damage from an outside source. It looks to me that someone attempted to upload a device from the outside to download our information and eradicate our databases. I salvaged what I could, Jack. We won’t know the extent of the tampering until I unpack and upload it.”

The younger omega nodded. “It’s a good start. Thank you, Ana.” He knew she had risked her life for this information and had traveled far to get it. He only wished he was able to assist her on her mission, instead of being stuck in limbo in the safe house.

“There’s…more on the files, Jack. I downloaded any information I could on you, Gabriel, and the rest of our team. There were still some encrypted files, but I have my sources we can tap into to access the data.”

“What about Athena?”

“She was gone. I have a feeling Winston salvaged her before the wipe of the systems could take full effect. I’m sure she is safe with him.”

“Thank god for that.” Jack exhaled. He didn’t want to think of the ramifications had they lost Athena when the months of shutdowns and UN takeovers at the Overwatch facilities had occurred. Many of the bases had been repurposed for UN use, while some had been nearly abandoned all together or adopted by local militaries.

There wasn’t much left of Overwatch to hold on to anymore.

The infant stirred in Ana’s arms, redirecting their attention.

“You smell your papa’s scent, don’t you?” Ana whispered, gazing down thoughtfully.

“Do you think he can imprint on Gabriel’s scent?” Jack asked nervously, a hand reaching across to settle on the newborn’s head.

“We can all recognize family, Jack. It’s hardwired in us.” Ana explained gently while she rocked the child softly. “I can always sense when Fareeha is close or what room she has just been in, just by her scent. That bond between child and parent is stronger than anything in this world.”

Jack nodded, knowing all too well the power of scent and family bonds.

He could remember sneaking into his brother Andrew’s room all those years ago; stealing an old-worn shirt from his sibling’s closet. The faint scent of his brother had brought him comfort after the car accident and the months after the funeral. The room became a capsule in time, filled with his brother’s memory and the life he had lived before his untimely death.

Jack could recall his mother spending much of her time in the lifeless room; laying on Andrew’s bed and clutching his pillow close to her face. Her muffled sobs would wake Jack in the middle of the night when his door was cracked open and the sound carried across the hall.

He remembers his father keeping Andrew’s door shut, unable to bear the pain that the scent carried.

Jack looked at Gabriel’s sweatshirt, throat tight with suppressed emotions that bloomed and grew in his blood.

“Have you thought of any names?” Ana questioned, a hand on his shoulder grounding him into the now and pulling him from his memories.

Jack’s eyes softened, “I guess I can’t call him ‘kid’ forever.”

Ana smiled, pleased with taking the conversation to a lighter tone, “No, I would suppose not. You mentioned that Gabriel wanted to continue the tradition of having a biblical name?”

“I thought of angel names like Michael, Raphael…but Gabriel already had family members with those names.” Jack frowned  

“What about Ezrael? It was a name I had on a list in case Fara was a boy.” Ana suggested. “It’s not entirely biblical, but it could be a long form of Ezra or a variation of Israel.”

The other omega mulled over the name for a moment, his mouth moving to form the syllables and the weight of it on his tongue.

He thought carefully of what Gabriel would think of the name.

“Ezrael. Ezra for short.” Jack agreed, the hint of a smile pulling at his lips. “I think we have a name.”

The omega took his child back into his arms, once again taking in the remnant of Gabriel wrapped around their newborn.

Ana leaned forward to kiss the top of Jack’s head.

“We will move from here in a few days to rendezvous with the doctor. For now, rest and regain your strength. I’m going to give you a check over to make sure you’re healing properly.”

“Any chance I can take some of those painkillers?” Jack smirked.

Ana snorted lightly, amused. “I’m only going to give you a light biotic field. Anything more than that, you’ll have to ask the doctor. You didn’t tear, did you?”

The younger man shrugged, “To be honest, it all hurts down there, but it’s gotten better. I figured the juice they gave me is seeing to that.”

“That is a blessing, then.” Ana pressed her hands against Jack’s stomach, feeling for any irregularities. “Fareeha tore me up good after I gave birth.”

“I remember. She’s always had a big head on her shoulder.” Jack quipped, wincing when Ana pressed into his sensitive lower abdomen. “Wonder where she gets it from.”

“Let us hope that your son doesn’t have _your_ bad temper or Gabriel’s stubbornness. You have what is coming to you, Jack.”    

“Guess we can only wait and see.”

The infant stirred against Jack’s chest, snuggling into the warmth of his father. The new parent made sure that Gabriel’s sweatshirt was well secured around his son, hoping and praying that this small piece of his mate would imprint on his child.

Ana was right.

Every child deserved to know their parent’s scent.

*

*

They left three days later when Ana approved of Jack’s and the baby’s health.

They packed what they could in the needed duffle bags and backpacks, making sure they would have enough supplies for Ezra when they left for the 7 hour journey north to meet with Dr. Ros. Jack was apprehensive about leaving, but he knew as well as Ana did that it was not wise to linger in the same safe house for too long when Talon and other forces were still on the move.

With Ezra tucked safely against Jack’s chest, they fled in the middle of the night, boarding a bullet train that would take them north into Poland.

They remained huddled within one of the train cars; hidden and quiet while they made the long, cold journey. Snow followed them the further north they traveled, blanketing a silence around them in the background hum of the train.

Ezra woke up a few times in the night, needing to eat and be changed to stay comfortable. He was overall a quiet newborn, only ever crying when he was uncomfortable or jostled too much. It was a blessing in all of this mess, when Jack worried that any sound the infant made could call attention to them in a negative way.

Ana observed her longtime friend as he rocked the child back to sleep after a feeding.

“I always knew you would be a good father.” She stated within the quiet of the room. “Fareeha would always ask me when you and Gabriel would be having a little one. She wanted a sibling in the worst way, but knew that wasn’t going to happen. So instead she used to ask Gabriel when you two would have a baby. She used to tell me a baby cousin would be good, too.”

Jack huffed, smiling while he reminisced. “I remember. Gabe used to tease me about it. I think Fara was 8 at the time, but she asked me when I’d be having a baby.”

Ana chuckled, “She was always a little too persistent.”

“We did try, for a while.” Jack’s eyes glanced back down to his son. “During a few of my heats…but nothing ever did take, other than the one time it did and…”

“You were going through a lot.” Ana reminded him. “You didn’t know when you went on the mission. It was a terrible time, Jack, and the world was in need of saving. You had no way of knowing.”

Jack’s worried at his lips, surprised to find his heart still ached almost a decade later to think about his miscarriage. He had been only a few weeks along when he had accompanied his top agents on a high profile mission and was blasted out of a building when it proved to be a setup. He was in bad shape when the medics were able to get to him through the fire and debris. It shouldn’t have been a surprise when he miscarried that evening with the amount of blood he lost and the severe wounds he had sustained from the fall.

However, it didn’t stop the tears and the grief he felt when his mate came to him, holding him on the hospital bed while they both mourned together.

After that, discussions of a family went on the backburner.

Jack cleared his throat, changing the subject. “Fareeha would’ve been a great big sister.”

“I think so, too.” Ana bumped her shoulder against Jack’s in comfort. “She is bossy enough to fulfill the requirement.”

“Will you ever talk to her again? I know you two were barely on speaking terms when she joined the Egyptian army.” Jack glanced over to the older omega. “I know it’s been some time and we need to stay in the dark, but for how long? Despite the differences, she’s family.”

She sighed, torn. “Fareeha has done well for herself with her military career, though I am hard pressed to say that I am pleased with her choices. However, all of that aside…when the threat has diminished or otherwise grown too great, I will make contact with her again.”

There was no set time span. It could be months or even years before either of them came out of hiding.

“Until then, I believe we can do some good digging around. People tend to leave the dead alone.” The older omega adjusted Ezra’s cap, smiling. “He really does look like Gabriel. Beanie and all. Your mate would be very proud of you.”

Jack knew Ana was changing the subject, veering away from the painful arguments Ana and Fareeha had engaged in when the young alpha had turned eighteen and told her mother her plans to join the military They had not been on good speaking terms for many years after that.

Ana, disappointed in her daughter for putting herself in danger and following in her footsteps. And Fareeha, frustrated with a mother who wanted her to live a civilian life but wouldn’t lay down her own weapons.

Jack tried to press down the memory of Ana’s funeral. The pair hadn’t spoken about it and Jack couldn’t muster the courage to bring up the press in Fareeha’s tight lipped frown throughout the service. It had been one of the darkest days of their past.

He remembered Fareeha’s words clearly in his mind, accompanied with the bitter anger that wouldn’t quell.

 _She is at peace, dying for what she_ _loved_ _._

_The soldier’s death she always wanted_

Jack had always felt guilty for it.

Even now, with Ana sitting very much alive and aware next to him.

“I’m sorry, Ana. I wish I could’ve gotten to you sooner….If I had, maybe things would’ve gone differently from that last mission…”

She looked up to him, a brow raised. “You have nothing to apologize for. The mission was going to hell and you did the right thing by securing the civilians and following my order to evacuate.”

“Still doesn’t lessen the guilt when I left you there to die.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

Jack softened, a smile pulling at the edge of his lips. “I guess we’re too old for this shit.”

“Old and by popular opinion, dead.”

“Yet Talon is still out sniffing around.” Jack rested his head back against the wall. “I suppose there are worse things.”

“We have each other, _habibi_. That will have to be enough, for now.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Ana. I felt so lost without you…”

Ana smiled wistfully. “I meant what I had said, Jack. I will never desert you. Now, rest. Your body needs it.”

Jack closed his eyes, giving way to sleep slowly while Ana took first guard.

_It was enough._

*

They made it to Poland in the early hours of the morning before the sun had risen and all was dark at the station. In the soft glow of the street light, they could just make out their own breath in the crisp winter air.

They exited swiftly before any of the staff could notice the illegal stowaways who had hitched a ride with them. Jack had situated Ezra in a wrap at the front of his chest; the child pressed securely against him so that the omega could have free use of his arms.

Ana lead Jack further into the underground of the city, taking him around twists and turns that blurred past his vision due to exhaustion and fear. Every time Ezra moved, the omega dreaded that the infant would cry and break their cover.

He wasn’t sure for how long they traveled or where exactly they were, but he followed Ana without hesitance.

They made it to their safe house nearly an hour later when snow began to fall in lazy droves from the heavens. Ezra was awake, blinking owlishly at his father while he squirmed, ready to eat.

“I haven’t used this safe house in close to 15 years.” Ana explained when she opened the door into the cellar, leading Jack down a winding path to another door hidden behind a weathered framed painting.

They entered the aged safe house with the first greeting of Jack’s young face on an old Overwatch propaganda poster. Although dust and time had faded the poster, there was no mistaking the bright blue of the Strike Commander uniform.

“Always thought I looked like an asshole in this picture.” Jack grumbled, frowning at his younger self’s enthusiasm and ‘heroic’ pose. “They had to touch up my face to hide the broken nose from the last mission.”

“The cameras always loved you, Jack.” Ana reminded.

Jack wanted to tear down the poster, but it seemed like Ana appreciated the old relic.

He left it, for now.

The safe house was bigger than the old shack in Barcelona. There were two generators, running water, and a few more amenities that would make life easier. There was one bathroom sectioned off in the spacious room, and a small kitchen setup stocked with MREs. They would need to travel out later in the day for more supplies, but for now the setup was comfortable.

There were four cots spaced out in the corner where Jack began to set his things beside and check on Ezra, who was wiggling in his sling and beginning to make small sounds of discomfort.

“The doctor will come by in a few hours to check on you both.” Ana clarified while she began to pull out some rations to make breakfast with. “In the meantime, we can get unpacked. I plan to be here to ride out the winter.”

“At least it is quieter here.” The younger omega replied, settling in to feed his son.

“Let us enjoy it while it lasts, then.”

*

Alessia Ros arrived in the twilight of the evening, carrying with her a medical bag and a backpack. Ana ushered her in hastily, leading her down the narrow stairway to Jack and the child.

“I am relieved to see you are both okay.” The doctor said by way of greeting. She approached the new parent steadily, keeping in mind an omega’s natural territorial instincts after giving birth. “How is the child?”

However, Jack was too tired to even muster a sneer of his teeth. He was relieved to see the doctor and sat up on the bed tiredly, gesturing down to the small bassinet Ezra was sleeping in. “He’s well. He sleeps and eats a lot.”

“And how are you?” the doctor asked while she paused to look over Jack. “You are looking better, aside from the exhaustion.”

The younger man shrugged. “I’m managing. Still bleeding a little, but it’s less and less every day.”

The tired bags under the doctor’s eyes and the cut on her cheek didn’t go unnoticed. She waved off the concern when asked and proceeded to check over Jack carefully. Her hands were thorough but gentle while she examined her patient and draw a small sample of blood to check his levels.

She did the same for the infant; checking the small newborn over for any red flags or irregularities. With Jack’s permission, she drew a small blood sample from his son to check over his DNA and compare it to Jack’s. If there was indeed enhancement serum running through the child’s veins, it would be revealed with some extensive lab work.

“Considering you gave birth only a few days ago, your enhancement serum has progressed your healing to something more in line with those recovering at 6 weeks postpartum.” The doctor looked over her chart, scratching in notes about Jack’s recovery speed. “At the rate you’re going, I expect you’ll have a full recovery within two weeks.”

The omega was slipping back on his shirt, noting his abdominal muscles were beginning to look more like their regular selves before the pregnancy. The stretchmarks remained, however. It was a reminder that his body had forged and pushed itself to the limits to give new life.

“I’m still going to recommend that you keep yourself on bedrest for the next three weeks.” Dr. Ros frowned, brows knit. “I don’t want you to delay your recovery. I’m also going to ask you to increase your caloric intake. You’re beginning to look like your old self again.”

 _Minus the white hair and the scars, of course_. Jack nodded.

“We’ll be staying low for a while.” Ana reassured. “For now our focus is the child.”

“A good focus to have in the midst of all this nonsense in the media.” Dr. Ros set the samples safely in the bag. “In the backpack you will find some additional medical supplies, vaccines, and some nano tech I was able to pilfer. There is also a chart with dates for when Ezra can begin his vaccinations, as well as antibiotics if you should need them. After I analyze his blood sample, we should have a better idea of what he’ll need, but I wanted to get you the supplies sooner.”

Jack cleared his voice, “Is Talon still tailing after you?”

The old doctor smirked, “I dedicated my life in the pursuit of medical advancements to help others. If Talon thinks I would share any of my knowledge with them to further their despicable cause, they are sorely mistaken. I’m too old to be scared by their tactics. I have work to do.”

“We’re grateful for putting yourself out on a limb for us, again.”

“This is what I live for.” The elderly woman smiled down at the infant. “I will be leaving in a month’s time to accompany Dr. Ziegler to Southeast Asia. If there is ever anything you need, I will be happy to help you, Strike Commander.”

Jack’s throat tightened at the name.

“Of course, I will know not to mention my promise to you and Ana to Angela. Your secret will always be safe with me.” Dr. Ros assured. “I will keep you updated with my findings on the samples once I analyze them in a secure location. I will be keeping in touch.”

“You’re not staying longer?” Ana asked.

The doctor shook her head. “You’re not the only Overwatch agents in need of help. Of course you are at the top of my list, but I am traveling to Stockholm tomorrow morning to meet with some old friends.” She smiled. “The Lindholms have been waiting quite patiently for me to come and help them attend to the Omnic population who are in need of help.”

Jack frowned. “I wish I could say to send Torbjorn my regards…”

The doctor looked to him intently. “Overwatch as an institution may be gone, but its agents are still serving out its work and mission throughout the world. We haven’t forgotten, Commander.”

It was another bittersweet goodbye, but this time around it left Jack feeling more at peace.

He thought of all of the files Ana had recovered, hands anxious to delve deeper into how and why Overwatch became corrupted and fell apart.

He wouldn’t be the only one still searching for answers to try and do some good.

Even if his definition of ‘ _good_ ’ was slightly off kilter.

***  
***

Begrudgingly, Jack followed the doctor’s orders.

Every day he was feeling better and stronger; more like his old self despite the fact that some days his bones still ached, and most of the time his thoughts lingered on Gabriel. Grief was his constant companion, but it was accompanied by an anger and bitterness that helped fuel his eager dive into the data Ana had retrieved for them.

Little by little, they began to extract and identify the inconsistencies within past mission reports, botched statements, and sealed files that seemed to add small timber to the fire that eventually enveloped all of the institution.

There are days Jack wants nothing more than to research and speak with Ana bout their findings, where there are others that find him too angry and grief stricken to continue with a clear head on his shoulders.

Ezra was a solid distraction from the anger.

The infant was growing healthily, thriving from the care and attention both Jack and Ana give him. Despite their situation and all that could and had gone wrong, they were managing.

Two ghosts and a miracle that survived the fall.

*

At Ezra’s three month mark, Dr. Ros came back for a second visit with the results from her tests.

The older woman carefully examined both Jack and the infant before handing over a printout of her findings for Jack to look through. She seemed more tired than usual with heavy bags beneath her kind eyes, but her spirit was still strongly firm.

“For the most part, Ezra is within normal range. However, the computer did register that he had a slightly heightened immune system which could also aid to his healing process. It’s similar to the same results we found in those who went through SEP.” The doctor explained, “I suspect that the enhancement serum is what also kept him alive in Zurich.”

“Is that normal for those who went through SEP and had offspring?” Jack questioned. There weren’t many survivors left who went through the Soldier Enhancement Program and fought in the Omnic Crisis, but he was sure some of the ones who had made it through had children somewhere along the line.

Dr. Ros frowned while she glanced up to the white haired soldier. “Out of all of the SEP subjects, you and Gabriel were the only ones who had viable offspring.” She looked troubled, slightly shaken. “There’s more you need to know than just that. While working with Dr. Ziegler, I was able to discuss with her your pregnancy. Of course she still does not know you’re alive, but for the sake of medical research, I needed to know more.”

Jack paused, taken aback. “What did you find out?”

Ana looked between them, face grim while she held Ezra in her arms.

The doctor cleared her throat. “Angela shared with you her concerns over your defective birth control, correct?”

“Yes.”

“It was defective to a point where the theory that someone may have purposely tampered with it came up as a viable reason for its failure. I suspect Angela was correct. Curious on whether or not high military grade birth control could prove inefficient for SEP subjects; I began looking back into personal medical files and found a troubling trend. It seemed all of the subjects who had gone on to have children, suffered from a variety of conditions- infertility, miscarriage, still borns, or nonviable offspring.”

The doctor gestured down to Ezra, continuing, “However, you and Gabriel were the only mated pair who came out of SEP. Both of you were enhanced soldiers. There had been notes in the past, off record, that theorized what the next generation of enhanced soldiers would look like if they came in the form of offspring from two enhanced parents. While none of the other living SEP soldiers mated with another equally enhanced person, you two did.”

“So Jack and Gabriel’s child was to be an experiment for the higher ups to test out the enhancement serum.” Ana spat, eyes narrowed.

The doctor looked grim. “Whoever tampered with your birth control did so knowingly. The amount of hormones issued in the device for the time span in which you were to wear it was severely inadequate. There is no reason it needed to fail, given how closely your serum has been monitored down to the very last calorie your body needs to function at optimal use.”

“So who issued the order to tamper with my medical care?” Jack ground out, face tinted red.

“I can’t tell for sure.” Dr. Ros apologized. “All I can tell you is that it was definitely deliberate, and if the order was given to mess with your biology, Commander, it must have been someone who was of higher rank that would benefit from the decision.”

The soldier wanted to punch a wall in his anger; frustrated and sickened that someone would have the gall to use his family like some sort of scientific experiment.

Names crossed through his mind in a dizzying display. All of the assholes in their suits and fake practiced smiles, spitting venom from their lips and glassed eyes.

Whose hands had he shook, unknowing that they were holding a knife behind their back, ready to strike?

Ana and Dr. Ros didn’t try to quell his anger; Jack had every right to be livid. He stood up from his seat, running a hand down his face when tears of frustration threatened his eyes. Frustration over their situation and towards himself for not having connected the dots sooner.

_Had he been blind?_

_Had he been too trusting?_

There had been so much going on within the last few years, pulling him in every direction and causing him to lose sight of what was truly happening.

He would find out whoever it was that had hurt him, his mate, and attempted to harm his child.

His body didn’t belong to anyone else.

“We will dig more, Jack. We are just scratching the surface.” Ana swore.

Dr. Ros agreed. “I’ll send any new intel your way. Whatever I can find is yours to do with as you please.” She waited a breath’s moment. “I’m sorry, Jack.”

Jack appreciated the sincerity, but he was tired of apologies.

He was ready to take action and begin dismantling those who destroyed Overwatch and tore his family and friends apart.

*

*

*

_One year later…_

_*_

The cut, had it been just a few slight inches to the right, would’ve sliced his right eye open.

Jack ran his bare fingers down the angry red scar, remembering the hot blood that had gushed down his face when the world had collapsed on him, swallowing him in smoke.

His hair, once a shocking shade of blonde, had drained from the tips to root to leave the strands white and scarce; receding up his forehead as if wanting to showcase the ugliness of his scars as they set deep and angry into his skin.

The old soldier pushed his fingers through the locks, feeling the bumps and grooves on his head where the doctor had stitched head wounds now covered by white.

The image glaring back at him is not the young, strong man with the heroic brow that was once plastered all over the world like a beacon of hope.

Now, he is just an old soldier, a presence from the past with a long mission ahead.

Jack turned off the bathroom light and walked back into the main room where Ana was standing in front of a large world map that spanned across most of the eastern safe house wall. Pins with strings, pictures, notes, and newspaper clippings litter the map while they track down their next targets of corrupt Overwatch/Blackwatch agents and officials who had dealings in the fall.

Ezra plays with toys beside her, content to be near his aunt. At 15 months old, he is a spitting image of Gabriel with the curliest of wispy hairs crowning his head.

Jack carefully picked him up, kissing his forehead.

“Any new leads?” the younger omega asked, eyes scanning the map.

“Here.” Ana pointed to a photo of an Overwatch facility in Colorado. “I think it will be best to begin at the old facility. Many government documents were sent there for storage, including some weaponry you might be interested in.”

Jack glanced over the list of bases in the United States and frowned.

They were currently staying in El Dorado, Mexico. Jack had taken down one of the head bosses of _Los Muertos_ who had been dealing with Overwatch officials under the table for weapons deals. It had been one of Jack’s first major missions since his ‘death’, and the desire to do more ran hot in his veins.

Ana looked over to him. “It will be a long mission, Jack. Weeks, possibly even over a month. Can you handle being away from Ezra for that long?”

Ezra looked up to his dad, the word ‘mission’ synonymous with ‘dad isn’t here.’

“If he’s in your care, then I can manage. I have all the override codes and I know the layouts just as well as you.” Jack insisted. “Besides, you’re already making headway here with the database hacks. I don’t want to impede on your research.”

Ana couldn’t argue with his reasoning. “Just be careful, Jack. We’ve been lucky so far, but venturing into the states is dangerous. They’re still on high security after Deadlock pulled that stunt in Arizona.”

“I’ll be on my guard.” Jack reassured.

He glanced over to the jacket that was hanging in the corner of the room. An old motorcycle jacket he had found at a thrift store and repurposed.

A bright ‘76’ was labeled on the back of the jacket, pulling at his heart strings when he thought of Gabriel and home. 

“There’s something else I need to do while I’m in the states. I’ll check in with you every 12 hours as usual.” Jack set his son back down and knelt before him, cupping his child’s cheek tenderly.

Ezra already knew his father was leaving, brow knit in confusion, worry, and the typical Reyes stubbornness.

“I’m going to be leaving tonight for the states. You’ll be good for your auntie, right?” Jack asked carefully. “I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

There was room for no argument, but Ezra still scowled and pouted, understanding what it meant when Jack walked over to put on the blue and white jacket.

Ana hugged the boy, comforting him while he watched his father begin to gear up.

As much as Jack hated leaving his son with Ana, there was something he needed to do.

Something that had been calling out to him for over a year.

_Someone._

*

*

It is still dark outside, but the sky was slowly giving way to a lighter blue as the whispers of the sun began to rise from its sleep.

Jack was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt similar to what his husband used to prefer in life.

Comfortable, efficient, and machine-washable.

The old soldier carries with him dark red carnations; a stark contrast to the dark wardrobe he wears. They had been a favorite of Gabriel’s and at one point, he remembered his mate telling him they symbolized ‘deep love.’ Jack grew to love the flower sin life, but now in death, they carried with them a bitter reminder of his failed relationship.

Gabriel used to buy them for him on their anniversary. Whether it was a bouquet or a single stem with a carnation, the flowers had been a part of their lives.

He thinks sadly of the last two years before things fell apart.

There had been striped red and white carnations on his desk those last two years; the color bleeding out and leaving the flower white just as their own love had been slowly swallowed by the issues they faced as a couple.

Standing at his mate’s grave, Jack thought he would feel something more here.

A stir or a hum within his bond telling him that his mate was resting in peace six feet below him.

It felt too impersonal to stand and stare at the white headstone reading “Gabriel Reyes. Blackwatch Commander” with his birth and death dates listed below.

He felt ashamed that a few feet over, a larger headstone stood for Jack Morrison where some poor, unidentifiable nameless person was buried in his stead.

Even in death the UN officials had decided to push them apart.

He is mortified to think what Gabriel’s family thought when they saw their son’s mate glorified a few feet over while Gabriel himself was given a modest headstone.

Although public opinion on Gabriel Reyes had been at an all-time low at his death, he was still given an honorable burial with a small funeral of close friends and family.

It makes Jack feel sick, knowing this was never what they would’ve wanted. Jack always wanted to be buried right beside his mate as an equal.

The love of his life that had been the only thing that truly mattered.

_When had Jack lost sight of that?_

He runs his hands down the etchings of the headstone, heavy and sad.

“He looks just like you, you know. He’ll be handsome like everyone in your family is, but the poor kid has more of my temperament. He’s stubborn like you, and sometimes throws a tantrum like me. The best and worst of us both.” Jack spoke quietly to Gabriel. He sipped at the beer he had stashed in his jacket- a pale ale from _Sierra Nevada_ that Gabe used to enjoy with a burger and fries. “It’s been hell without you, but of course you know that. It still doesn’t feel real that you’re gone…I hate thinking about you all the time- about what I should’ve done to make things right; make them better.”

He was met with silence, save for the distant chirping of bugs and birds who were awaiting the sun’s arrival.

“I heard Ezra sing the other day and for a moment I thought it was you- humming along the way you used to when your mind would wander.” He coughed, clearing his throat. “I think if you were still here, you’d be his favorite. You were always so good with kids, and he’s so much like you it hurts.”

Jack thumbed at the earth, having half a mind to dig his mate out from the ground to see his corpse. It was a grim thought, but he needed the closure- craved the knowledge that yes, Gabriel was indeed dead and was laid to rest among all of the other heroes in Arlington.

That his mind couldn’t hallucinate other possibilities in the middle of the night.

Couldn’t imagine Gabriel was there, watching him in the corner and judging his sins and failures.

 “Everything got so turned upside down. I’m sorry, Gabriel. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be more for you, or be there for you when you needed me. I know I did wrong, but I wish you would’ve been honest with me, too.” Jack sighed. “You were so secretive towards the end; you wouldn’t let me in and it made me only angrier with you. I should’ve been more patient; more compassionate you what you were going through. _Fuck_.”

He continued. “You know I would’ve traded it all just to live a normal life with you. There were so many days I wished for nothing more than to get away from everything. I hate what happened to us; I hate myself for pushing you away and allowing others to get in the way of our marriage, and I’m upset that I allowed it to happen. I loved- love you Gabe. I always will. You were always it for me. You still are.”

The old man sighed, noticing the sun was just barely visible on the horizon.

“I promise to keep Ezra and our families safe. I’ll be back in a few months.”

He finished the rest of the beer and crushed it, stowing it away in his jacket.

He laid the flowers on his husband’s grave and stood, wiping at his chin.

Jack pressed against his bond and experienced the vast emptiness all over again; a literal block that impeded him from going any further.

At the end of it, there was static.

He frowned at the uncomfortable feel, a hand running over his heart to quell the rapid beating.

Gabriel was gone, but it didn’t truly feel real.

"Happy anniversary. I'll see you soon...just please wait for me, wherever you are.”

He left before the sun’s light could reach his mate’s grave.

Jack turns his back on his own grave stone.

He doesn’t want to read the lies written there.

*

*

*

The old cowboy had paid his respects before, but the inkling to go again settled in the back of his mind and lead him to the final resting spot of two of the finest mentors a young man could ever ask for.

It was dark out, but Jesse knew the way blindfolded.

He pushed through the dark, a cigarillo in his mouth ready to be lit while a fresh one was held in his hand, ready to be offered to the man who’d taken him in as a scrawny pup and gave him a second chance at life.

When Jesse walks up to the grave, he isn’t expecting the vibrant red carnations that greet him ominously at the foot of the old commander’s tombstone.

“The hell?” Jesse mutters, brows creased.

Gabriel used to tell everyone that he loved sunflowers and peonies. Jack used to buy his lover sunflowers all of the time, even though Gabriel’s true favorite flower was carnations.

The red carnations only ever came out when it was an anniversary.

Jack and Gabriel’s anniversary.

Jesses brushed his gloved hands through the bouquet. They were about a day old, once fresh and apparently hand-picked with only a red string to tie them together. They had wilted some from the day in the sun, but they were still stunning and deep with color.

He glanced around the cemetery, trying to piece together who would bring the dead soldier such a personal gift that had been, in life, only between Gabriel and his mate.

Frown deepening, Jesse glanced over to Jack’s headstone.

Something wasn’t adding up.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the kudos and love! ;__;  
> Thank you to everyone for all of the lovely name suggestions! I had a hard time picking!! Thank you to Samky and the lovely people on the R76 BB Discord for helping me out. <3  
> We’ll be doing a time jump in the next chapter! :D
> 
> Come send me writing prompts or say hello~ I always appreciate hearing from you all.  
> [Tumblr](http://valkyriegail76.tumblr.com/)  
> [Twitter](http://twitter.com/AmethystValkyri)  
> 


	9. Adherence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “People who suffer together are more connected than those who are content.” –Florence Welch, What Kind of Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Haven't been beta'ed, so all mistakes are mine!  
> Warning for violence, mentions of harm, improper use of alcohol, and an apparent suicide. (not of a major character, though)

 

 **9** **.** **Adherence**

 

_4 years later_

 

In the quiet moments, with a bottle of whiskey dangling in a calloused hand, Jack’s mind wandered far away from the safety of his hideout and the warm familiarity of security. There was no ease in his demeanor while his pale eyes stared up at the aged ceiling, hard with frustration and the memories that plagued him.

His heart was heavy and his body sore after his last mission had gone south, leaving him no choice but to abandon the objective to get to safety. Talon had decided to show up at the same Watchpoint in Eastern Europe, taking him by surprise when black smoke filled the air, nearly choking him if it hadn’t been for the mask he wore.

He had run into Talon’s shotgun wielding mercenary months before down in Dorado. He thought it had been some sort of figment of his imagination, but the quick crossing of their paths still ached in the back of his head where a shotgun had struck him unconscious as soon as he had rounded the bend and was met with a blocked alleyway.

Why the mercenary hadn’t killed him was a mystery, but the acrid smell that hung in the air around him made his nerves tingle with the echoes of _mate_ and _Gabriel_. His neck had been aching ever since the encounter, poisoning his mind with false hopes.

He had secured the feeling away, up until the next encounter.

This new experience had been marked with the presence of Widowmaker; the Talon sniper who bore Amelie Lacroix’s deadened face, devoid of any of the light and emotion she had held in life.

Ana had shared her suspicions long ago that Talon might have gotten a hold of more of their former Overwatch agents than just Gerard’s wife. She had warned him that worse things were to come, and even as she had explained with stricken grief that Jack’s mate could’ve been part of that statistic, Jack had refused to listen.

Gabriel was dead and buried.

He had convinced himself of that fact for so long, but when the Talon agent known only as ‘Reaper’ began to make more and more appearances, something in Jack stirred and shifted. The truth he had once held firmly began to rattle; even though his stubborn resolve would counter that Gabriel could never do such a thing.

Then again, never would Amelie, and that had turned out very differently.

Ana sat across from him, her face just as hardened and anxious as his own. Two soldiers, having believed their beloved comrade was dead for so long, now faced with the truth of Gabriel’s altered existence.

_Of Gabriel’s betrayal._

Jack still wanted to live in his denial, but to do so was foolish.

He had to consider all of the options, and hated himself even more for accepting that his mate’s death could’ve been a setup, or that Gabriel had been working for Talon before the fall of Zurich. Jack had never trusted Gabriel’s close relationship with Dr. Moira O’Deorain, and knowing she had ties with Talon, the foundation of his trust towards his mate’s intents and dealings cracked and withered.

Or had Gabriel been brainwashed, as Amelie had?

Ana had accepted her closest friend’s betrayal, but was still just as rocked by the revelation as the other omega. She seemed to accept it more easily, having seen enough horrors in the world that little could surprise her.

“If Gabriel is alive and has been turned into that _thing_ , then who did they bury?” Jack frowned, his jaw set in a firm line. His wrinkles showed through the more he worried over the troubling data, revealing his age and the stress of their situation.

“Either some unnamed body or an empty casket. Either way, they thought they had buried _you_ , and yet here you are. If Gabriel was in talks with Talon, who knows what arrangements were possibly made before Zurich.”

Jack swallowed thickly, “Gabriel would never-“ He looked down at the bottle and thought of his mate’s desire to have a family, to be a father. He thought of Ezra, hundreds of miles away in a safe location, away from his father and hidden from the public. He thought Gabriel would never hurt him or their son, but the implication was there and slowly, pieces began to fall into place.

Gabriel moving out of their shared quarters.

The lack of details in filed reports that Jack looked over, thinking he was signing off out of trust that his mate had to do whatever it took to complete his mission.

The late nights in the lab.

The encrypted medical data on Gabriel Reyes’s health records.

The lack of records under his primary health specialist, Dr. O’Deorain.

The nosebleeds.

The coldness of his body.

His genetic condition.

Jack thought of the two stylized shotguns pointed at him, _shooting_ at him, while he retreated down the long hallway out of the old building and into the forest. He had thick bruises on his back from where the enhanced Kevlar couldn’t fully cushion the intensity of the impact.

Reaper had shot to kill, and Jack wondered if the Talon mercenary knew who Soldier: 76 truly was.

 _He had to of known._ Jack thought to himself bitterly. He rubbed at his neck where the old, faded scar of his mating mark stung, serving as a reminder of how fucked his whole situation had turned his world.

When Jack had first learned of Reaper’s existence, he had hoped it was just some rogue mercenary who had idolized Gabriel Reyes and was trying to emulate his style. When faced with Reaper one on one, Jack’s heart knew it wasn’t true.

No one could replace Gabriel Reyes.

“Whatever Reaper is, it isn’t Gabriel. Not anymore.” Ana spoke up, nursing her own beverage. She had gone for a bottle of red wine and sipped it idly, not getting nearly as drunk as Jack was pushing himself to be.

“It would’ve been better had Gabe died. Instead, he’s some mindless drone for Talon. He’s changed, and it’s all that witch’s doing.”

Ana sighed, “We couldn’t have known, Jack. Whatever the circumstances, Gabriel is gone to us. This Reaper will need to be dealt with, and I need to know that you have the strength to do what is right when the time comes”

“What difference does it make if he dies again? I mourned him once, I can mourn his death again.” Jack chugged three mouthfuls of the whiskey, barely wincing from the strong burn that slid down his throat and warmed his souring stomach. Ana watched him despondently, wanting to slow down his pace, but also understanding that Jack needed to deal with his hurt. If he passed out, he would at least sleep through the night.

Jack was trying to keep this façade of strength, but Ana could smell the trouble and pain that wrapped around his scent. He was distraught with the news, but what more could he do? There wasn’t much comfort Ana could offer other than a shoulder to lean on and the knowledge that she was in mourning, as well. Gabriel was family to her, and now he was suffering a fate worse than death.

That was, if he had truly been brainwashed. The alternative that the ex-Blackwatch commander could’ve knowingly betrayed them was too much to bear.

“I have Ezra to think about.” Jack coughed. He tried to clear his roughened voice with another swig of alcohol. “Whatever the conditions, Gabriel can’t know where he is.”

“I know.” Ana agreed.

It had already been a few months since Jack had seen his son. He pushed his fingers through his white, thinning hair, thinking miserably about his situation. His son was thousands of miles away, left in the care of a confidant who kept him hidden in plain sight. His Overwatch family was still torn apart and spread across the world while he remained a nuisance to government facilities while he tried to piece the fall of his organization together.

Now there was his mate, who had seemingly suffered the same fate as Amelie.

He hoped that was the case, since the thought of Gabriel knowingly betraying him made his heart ache unbearably.

How could his mate do this to them?

The betrayal stung more heavily and bitter in his bones than the whiskey that pulled him down.

Whenever he searched their bond, he was still met with static and pain. Pain inside, and on his neck where the mark felt like a brand in need of healing.

He and Ana stayed up late, drinking until words were no longer viable. Jack slumped over on his cot, passing out in the darkness while Ana sat beside him, an unwavering rock in the storm of anger and grief that pulled their worlds apart.

_*_

_*_

_*_

The mercenary’s heavy boots crunched against the shattered glass, making no effort to hide in the silence while their footsteps echoed in the lab.

The doctor knew this angel of death could easily, silently shift through the air to locate and kill her. However, he was playing games. He was amused by the cat and mouse charade they were playing at while she quietly shuffled low behind the rows of tables in the lab.

At this point, she was buying time.

She had known her time was coming. She could sense it in the air when old colleagues began to go missing and traces of Talon were all that was left behind.

With all the years of time served at Overwatch, she knew it was inevitable.

Knowing her death was imminent, she was able to send a ping of alarm to Angela Ziegler’s location. She knew that with her death, Angela would protect her life’s work and the secret she’d been harboring for the last four years.

The existence of the mercenary’s son.

With the encrypted information sent from the device implanted in her arm, Dr. Ros sat back against the medical cabinet and tried to settle her nerves. Whatever was to come, she knew Angela would carry on her work.

Reaper materialized before her, a shotgun pointed at her head.

“How much human is there left of you?” The doctor asked, her eyes piercing in the quivering light. “I warned you not to trust Moira.”

Reaper didn’t answer for a moment, merely held the shotgun firmly in front of her. He had known the doctor for some time; had gone to her when Overwatch was newly formed and she was able to monitor his vitals and the long-term effects of the enhancement serum to his genetics.

She had been one of the first faces he had ever seen in the medical wing, but that seemed like a millennia ago.

She had been hiding for years now in stubborn secrecy.

“You’ve been a tricky woman to locate. What do you have to hide from at your old age?”

“Nothing, anymore.” She stated without hesitation.

And that was the truth of it.

She knew she had followed her heart’s content in her work and kept her promise to Jack. She was happy to die for it.

Another pair of footsteps echoed in the lab. Dr. Ros glanced to the side, frown deepening when the familiar redhead geneticist made herself known. Moira looked around the room nonchalantly, finding nothing that appealed to her tastes.

“Alessia. Good to see you again.” Moira sneered.

“What is it that Talon wants? If it’s to join you, I have no interest.” Dr. Ros spat.

Moira tsked. “So irritable.” She knelt down, getting closer to the older woman. “We have intel leading that you are still assisting former Overwatch agents. More specifically, the former commanders. What does Amari and Morrison have you up to that must be so tightly under wraps?”

“I know of no such thing. You know very well that I have been assisting the Lindholms these past years.” Dr. Ros shook her head. “The commanders died years ago.” She glanced up at Reaper. “Except for you.”

“No need to be testy.” Moira held out a hologram, bringing up an image of Soldier: 76. “You recognize this man, do you not? Word is that you’ve been supplying him with healing biotics you obtained from Dr. Ziegler.”

“He’s a thief.” Dr. Ros disagreed.

“One you’ve been helping.” Reaper growled. “I saw the canisters in person.”

“What is the point in all of this?” The elderly woman waved off the comment. “Is Talon going to take me in, too? Change this grandmother into an undead assassin? I have done enough for this world in my life. Your cause does not serve my purpose.”

Reaper held up a shotgun, “Then we will send you on your way.”

Moira put her hand up, stopping the other agent.

“For so long, you criticized my works, Alessia. Now, I will gladly show you what you have been missing out on in my research.” Moira smiled while her long, sharp-nailed fingers ran along the side of the doctor’s face. “We could’ve had the power to control life or death. You denied me of the research and let many of your own people die instead of delve into my craft. Now, I will be pleased to show you what I have created.”

“You all have what is coming to you.” Alessia bit out. “I refuse to die by your hands, witch!”

Alessia bit at the fake molar in the back of her mouth, resolute to die by her own terms while she swallowed the cyanide capsule. Moira stood, watched the hatred seep out of her old colleague’s eyes.

When the body was still, Moira scowled. “We’ll search the rooms for anything useful.”

“On it.” Reaper ground out. “Next time, just kill them. There’s no need for speeches.”

Moira didn’t reply, merely glared back at the seemingly smug body.

She should’ve figured that the old woman would have it in her to be as stubborn in death as she was in life.

*

*

*

“ _Dad_?”

The voice was barely above a whisper and Jack’s body tightened, eyes opening to adjust to the darkness of the room. His ears picked up on the sound of his son’s fast breathing. There were some faint noises of the snow storm outside, but they were a background buzz compared to his child.

Jack was sitting up, his back against the bed and head hung low while he looked through his data pad where Ezra’s most recent medical reports were sent. It wasn’t the most comfortable position to read in, but he was feeling on edge whenever he was reunited with his son. He was always worried that someone was tracing him.

Ezra was behind him in his bed, turned towards his side to face his parent.

“Everything ok?” Jack asked gruffly, his hands twitching for his side arm in case danger was nearby. He didn’t always trust his own senses when he was exhausted and on the run for this long. He had climbed through Ezra’s bedroom window a few hours before. It was almost Christmas, and the roommate Ezra had at the boarding school was gone with family for the holiday.

Jack’s gift of new books still rested on the five year old’s desk.

Ezra crawled to the side of the bed and Jack sighed, pushing himself up to sit on the edge. There were tears in his son’s eyes and he worried them away, forehead scrunched in concern while Ezra tried to right himself.

The child had seen too much of this world without Overwatch.

Jack felt guilty for not always being there when Ezra had his nightmares, but it was too risky. Jack would leave before sunrise and wouldn’t be back for weeks.  

“Bad dream?” Jack whispered, pulling his son into a hug. “You’re shaking like a leaf, kiddo.” He soothed a hand through wavy brown hair, trying to console him gently. With each deep breath, Ezra began to calm from his nightmare.

“It was the boogeyman again.” Ezra stated in the quiet between them.

Jack’s jaw tightened. “Did you tell them to go away this time?”

“I tried to.” The boy shook his head, “I tried, but I lost my voice.”

The nightmares had been a long time thing.

Dr. Ros had reported that they were a frequent occurrence, and Jack worried that their separation attributed to it. Without the reassuring scent of his protection, it was hard for Ezra to come out of his nightmares without crying or scared out of his mind.

The boogeyman visited him often, and each time Jack prayed it wasn’t in the shape of Reaper.

Too many things were happening in the world while people held their breath, knowing the escalation of events were growing more threatening.

Something was going to give soon.

“You’ll be okay. I know you’ll tell that boogeyman to leave you alone next time. How about we read one of you new books instead?” Jack pulled his son’s thought away from the nightmare. Ezra let out a long breath, nodding against his dad.

“You go ahead and pick.” The old soldier encouraged. "I like all of them."

Ezra scurried over towards his desk and pulled off the second book in the stack. It was an old _Llama, Llama_ book that Jack had enjoyed when he was a child. Getting fully on the bed, Jack leaned his back against the wall and allowed his child to cuddle up beside him, pulling his blankets and pillow with him.

Jack read through the book quietly, mindful that there might’ve been other students sleeping down the hall. There were very few kids who stayed behind since most went home for the holidays. However, Ezra remained. His home was here in the boarding school, with or without Jack.

Jack read through the book twice, and then read _Love You Forever_ and _How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?_  at his son’s request.

He continued to read while one thumb soothed back and forth on the side of his son’s forehead. The gesture always seemed to lull him to sleep as an infant, and it was no different now that he was older. The boy’s eyes grew heavier and heavier the more Jack read and rocked him.

Eventually, Jack hummed lightly, gazing down at the tired youth while Ezra began to fall asleep to the sound of his voice. The old commander cherished the moment, taking in the calming scent of family and the warmth of being in each other’s presence. He shifted Ezra and laid him back under the thicker covers of his bed, making sure he was comfortable.

“Are you leaving again?” the boy questioned sleepily while he snuggled into the bed.

“I have to.” When Ezra looked troubled, Jack continued, running his thumb along his son’s temple to ease him back to sleep. “It won’t be a long trip this time, I promise. Get some rest. It’ll be morning before we know it and you’ll have Christmas with your friends.”

Jack kissed his forehead while the smaller child curled in towards him, closing his eyes. “Merry Christmas, Ezra. I love you.”

“Love you too, dad.” The boy yawned, too exhausted to stay awake. The boy looked up to his dad for a moment, eyes growing sad. “Dad, can you tell me more about Papa?”

Jack paused, frowning. “What do you want to know?”

“What was papa like?”

It wasn’t the first time Ezra had asked, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. It was usually around holidays that the child took to notice that his family was different.

“Your papa was very handsome, and very good at making your dad laugh. He used to play pranks like putting ice in my shoes to make me smile.” Jack replied, running his fingers through his son’s wavy hair. “Sometimes he would sing my favorite songs, and other times he would surprise me with my favorite foods or flowers. Your papa was a good man, Ezra.”

“Where is he now?”

Jack paused, always one to hate this question. He couldn’t tell his son that his father was now a wanted terrorist. “He’s gone now, Ezra. Just like your abuelo and uncle Andrew. They closed their eyes, and went into a deep, deep sleep.”

“Can you kiss him awake?” the boy suggested.

“No, I can’t.” Jack sighed. “But you should know that your papa loves you…thought _I_ love you _more_.” He leaned forward, blowing a raspberry against his son’s neck, making him giggle out loud.

“Gross, dad!”

“How about you get some sleep? I heard Santa can’t come until everyone is asleep.” Jack pointed out. “That means me, too.”

Ezra seemed to agree with the plan, his eyes growing heavy. “Will you be back soon?” He asked again.

“Of course, kiddo.”

The old omega lingered for a while, every part of him reluctant to leave his child. In the past few months, Ezra had grown taller and matured more and more while he went to school and began to assimilate with the other boys. He had been at the boarding school for most of his life, and the reminder that Jack was absent from it hurt.

Ezra had been given a new last name and background while being entrusted to the care of the facility. He was safest here; a nobody without rank or family accolades.

Before the sun rose, Jack kissed the top of his son’s head one last time, unsurprised by the tears he held back whenever he had to do this. He hated leaving him, but it was the only way to ensure his safety.

In the darkness of the snowy night, Jack climbed back out the third story window and carefully down the frosty building.

He disappeared again from his son’s life.

Every step that took him further away from his son was like a knife to the chest.

He knew it was for the best, but it never made it easier.

*

*

*

Angela hadn’t been able to sleep well for days.

She knew that when she had received the last transmission from her old colleague, something was wrong. Alessia had left her a simple message at the end of all of the encrypted data that said:

‘Take care of them.’

Ever since she had begun decrypting and deciphering the files sent to her by Dr. Ros, she had been left up for hours late into the night, pouring over the years’ worth of data that had been collected on a subject only known as ‘Robin’. Whoever this subject was, it was obvious that the good doctor has passed on their trust in Angela to locate them and care for them.

Given the data, the subject was only a child, but their genetic coding was unlike anything Angela had seen before in someone so young.

Their genetic coding was similar to the enhanced soldiers who had survived SEP. It only led her mind to wander more, the dates calculating in her mind and leaving her chest heavy with remorse and shaken hope.

There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t call to mind all she had lost when Overwatch fell.

For months after the incident in Zurich, she was investigated thoroughly, interrogated, and dissected under the public’s eyes. She eventually gained pardon when none of her work proved to be for anything other than the benefit of society. After regaining her freedom and gathering her wits and heartache, she plunged herself into public service wherever the world needed her.

Still, she was haunted by Gabriel’s dying figure in her hands, and the knowledge that Jack and the baby hadn’t survived the explosion and fires, either.

She was in South America now, providing aide and support for local towns while their waters were being treated. Much of the world was still recovering from the Omnic Crisis years ago, and Angela felt it was her duty to ty and set things right for the people who had been affected by the war. Clean-up crews traveled the world to help salvage parts from the old battlegrounds and omnic sites, while help was provided for the locals.

The night was quiet save for a few voices and music playing in the other tents. The air was warm and the stars alight, but Angela remained in her tent to analyze the last of the data that had been sent to her. She sipped at her brandy, praying meanwhile that her good friend was somewhere at peace now.

Living life on the run, no one was ever guaranteed peace so long as they lived. She could feel the holster of her gun rub against her skin and prayed she would not have to use it for another night.

One never knew.

Scouring the encrypted data, subject: Robin was too young and too familiar to allow her to sleep restfully. Something inside of her told her to keep digging, to keep searching for clues that would lead her to them. With the special encryption keys she had been gifted to continue her communications between herself and the late doctor, she was able to narrow down a few GPS coordinates.

One was to the doctor’s home in Italy.

A few others led to old watch points, medical facilities.

The pictures of the locations began to prove even more and more frustrating, until one picture, of a boarding school no less, flashed a picture with a robin symbol on its crest.

She paused, eyes wide while she clicked over the data and the list of students Alessia cared for appeared.

One of them had to be ‘robin’.

Resolve twisting in her gut, she booked the next flight out to Ireland.

She had a plan.

*

It was a cold, rainy evening with everything gray and dull against the backlit of dark green trees surrounding the campus. Angela stood outside of the gates with her umbrella and suitcase, a tight feeling in her chest while the security guards buzzed her in and welcomed her with gentle smiles. She had called the facility in advance, offering to do a lecture for older students interested in getting into the medical field before they graduated from their time at McMorden’s Boarding School in Ireland.

The staff greeted her with enthusiasm and led her upstairs to a guest suite where she would remain for the next three days, spanning out her lectures. A large banner of the school’s crest greeted her in the room, the robin seeming to mock her as it had led her here.

She hoped it wasn’t a trap.

She looked around the sparse guest room and carefully laid her items aside, preparing herself for dinner with the headmaster, followed by a tour of the facility. It was an all-boys school, narrowing down her understanding of the child she was looking for; Robin.

He was her objective, but he would have to wait until her presence in the school was settled and eyes were off of her. She didn’t even know which student it was, other than that she had to look at the youngest children that matched the age of Dr. Ros’s studies.

Angela took her time.

She went to dinner with the headmaster, spoke with some of the other teachers, and even held a small meet-and-greet with the older students while she answered some of their questions about her field of study.

Sometimes, she thought she caught a scent of something or someone familiar.

It was distant and wavering, but always sharp the first time it made contact with her senses.

When the evening of the second day came to a close, one of the omnic staff came upstairs to greet her. She held with her a school tablet and nodded towards the screen while handing it to the human.  “My name is QR-A. The headmaster said you were interested in reviewing some of the names of our soon to be graduates? I can direct you to our aspiring medical students.”

“Yes, thank you.” Angela sighed. She was happy to help the university bound young adults, but the familiar scent she had followed earlier in the day still haunted her.

QR-A watched her for a moment, curious. “The headmaster mentioned that you were a colleague of Alessia Ros, correct?”

Angela perked up, taken aback. “Yes, I was.”

Her gun was hidden at her side, concealed by her black blazer. She swallowed thickly, guardedly.

“I’m sorry if I am being too direct, but…are you here to see Mr. Robbins?”

Angela didn’t know what to say at first.

She eyed the omnic carefully, not sensing any malcontent. Nonetheless, she hadn’t gotten this far in life without taking chances. She nodded. “Dr. Ros had asked me to mind him for her. She has retired from her practice.”

QR-A didn’t seem fazed. “The doctor told me I should be expecting you in her stead.” She looked to the clock. “If you come with me now, Mr. Robbins should be open to an informal meeting. His roommate is in art therapy.”

“Of course.” Angela picked up her medical bag, a bead of sweat running down the back of her neck while adrenaline began to kick in.

_Was this a trap?_

The omnic nodded with a smile while she directed the doctor down the hallway and up two flights of stairs. “Dr. Ros told me you would be coming. I am pleased to finally meet you, Dr. Ziegler.”

“Thank you for having me.”

“Ezra Robbins has a rare mutation, as you must know from his medical history. I hope that you can offer the care that he needs.”

“ _Ezra_ …” Angela whispered under her breath.

“Did you look over Mr. Robbin’s history?” QR-A asked.

“No, I haven’t had the chance.” 

“Ezra has been with us since he was an infant, given to us by a family member who could no longer care for him. I looked after him myself, up until the headmaster would allow him to integrate with the other students at 3 years of age.”

“What was his family member’s relation?” The doctor asked.

“An uncle, if I recall. They said there was no other family to care for him, especially with his medical needs. Sometimes the uncle visits, but it has been some time since we’ve seen him.” QR-A explained sadly. “Nonetheless, he is a well-mannered child and has adjusted well to life here. We have plenty of other students who have been orphaned or are fosters from the government. I am proud to say that we offer the best of care and education for these youth.”

Angela nodded, “I am glad to hear. I have seen similar schools like yours in other countries, and I am glad to see the children well-prepared for life.”

QR-A stopped in front of one of the doors and knocked. A voice squeaked from the other side, followed by the sound of books being put away.

“Ezra’s roommate is in the art room. I will stand outside the door in case you need me.” QR-A explained, turning the handle.

“Thank you.” Angela tilted her head in regards.

Pulling her nerves about her, her hand tightened on the handle of her doctor’s bag while she walked inside, her heart beating fast for what she would find.

It felt like a dream; the rain pattering against the glass window, the dull light of the room casting a reveal on the child she had been studying for weeks. The child she had been pushing and searching for- entrusted to with the last of Dr. Ros’s resolve before Talon took her life.

Standing next to the bed, at attention, was a young boy of five with light brown skin, deep brown eyes, and a dusting of freckles across his nose and rounded cheeks. He was tall for his age, but still so small and fragile in Angela’s eyes.

The child was a spitting image of Gabriel Reyes, but with soft wavy hair, and a jaw structure that resembled his Morrison genes.

His scent spoke of home and familiarity; so strong and crisp that it cut the tightness in Angela’s chest where emotion bloomed and filled her lungs. Her blue eyes misted with hot tears, barely held back as she recognized the dimples in the boy’s cheeks when he smiled up at her.

_Jack._

Those beautiful brown eyes seemed to recognize her, placing her somewhere in his memories. He tilted his head back at her, his voice inquisitive, “You’re the angel, aren’t you?”

Angela knew.

She had known this whole time, but never wanted herself to believe it. Never wanted to trust her instincts and allow her hope to lead her to this moment. She had buried Jack and this child years ago, grieving their loss for so long that it felt like a visceral cavern within her heart.

She had been one of the first people to hear this child’s heartbeats, to hid his existence from those who would’ve urged Jack to rid him, and now he stood before her, alive and seemingly well.

“I’m Dr. Ziegler.” Angela replied, trying to hold true to her professionalism. QR-A was still standing outside the door, distantly monitoring the interaction between the doctor and the child. “I’ll be taking care of you. How do you do, Ezra?”

“I’m okay. It’s cold.” The boy glanced back to the window. “Is Dr. Ros coming?”

“Not anymore. I’ll be your doctor now.” Angela explained gently.

The boy didn’t question further. The crease on his concerned brow seemed to tell Angela that he had been expecting this at some point.

Angela gestured for Ezra to sit on the edge of his bed while she set her medical bag on his desk. Everything was a bit smaller in the room, better attuned to young children. Ezra watched her curiously while she pulled out a few items and opened her laptop.

Her heart was still beating rapidly, her hands shaking lightly, but she remained professional the best she could. She still had to confirm that this was indeed Jack’s child, and a quick DNA comparison would rest her case. She still had all of Jack’s medical records buried away in her encrypted database. A small comparison would match up with what her heart was already telling her.

“I’m going to take a small swab of your cheek, okay? Going to check your cells to see if they’re healthy. Say ‘Ahhhhh’.”

The child followed her directions, laughing lightly when the cotton swabbed tickled. Angela chuckled, praising him for his good behavior while she poured some liquid nanites into the tube and sealed it, shaking it up. The nanites began to interpret and transfer the data to her laptop, running the analysis beside Jack’s old DNA.

“How do you like school?” Angela asked, noting the way Ezra swung his legs from the edge of his mattress. Nervous energy reminding her of the way Jack would wiggle his leg under the table at meetings.

“It’s ok. We’re waiting until baby chickens hatch. We have them under a light to make them warm.” Ezra explained, his eyes glancing towards the window every so often. “I think they’ll be yellow chickies.”

“That sounds exciting. How many eggs does your class have?”

“Seven.”

“You should pick out names for them if you’re going to raise them.”

The laptop beeped lightly, pulling her attention away from the familiar features of the child.

There was a clearly defined parental match between Ezra and Jack. Angela’s stomach welled up into her throat. For the second time, her eyes felt warm again from repressed tears while she looked back over to Ezra.

She thought of Jack, all of those years ago, confessing to her in the quiet of his lodgings his worries over his unexpected pregnancy. He was unprepared; scared at the time while she promised him she would do whatever she could to help.

Here before her was the miracle that had survived against the odds. Her small, tiny little anomaly that had grown into a young child who looked every bit like his fathers.

“Dr. Ros said that I have a funny heart.”

“Pardon?” Angela looked over to him, breath stuttered.

“My heart sounds funny.” He put his hand over his chest and made quick thumping sounds. “She said I had a heart like a rabbit.”

The corner of Angela’s eyes crinkled with a smile. She wiped the moisture from them. “Is that so? Let’s take a listen, shall we?”

Angela pulled on her stethoscope and listened carefully to the child’s fast heartbeat. It was indeed fast, reminding her again of the heartbeats of Jack and Gabe, whose bodies ran at a much quicker pace. She hummed in confirmation and pulled the stethoscope down, slowing Ezra to hear his own heartbeat.

“You have grown so much.” Angela stated while she set the stethoscope aside.

“Were you there when I was a baby?” Ezra questioned.

Angela ran a thumb across the boy’s cheek where a smudge of dirt covered some of his freckles. “No, I wasn’t. But did you know that I was there for your dad when you were still in his tummy? I remember you, when you were very, very tiny.” Angela whispered, overcome with emotion to find Jack and Gabriel’s son alive and well. “You are very important to me, Ezra. I promise that I will take good care of you.”

Ezra stood up on his bed and wrapped his arms around her innocently, hugging her back. Angela welcomed the familial affection, the tears finally breaking through to run down her cheeks.

“My dad said I would meet you one day.” Ezra whispered back, low enough that only Angela could carefully hear. “He told me about you.”

Angela bit her lip, wanting to so many questions on Jack and how Ezra came to be here. Instead, she nodded, taking in the boy’s words. “Your dad was my dearest friend.”

She thought of Gabriel, sitting in the late night hours in her lab, looking across to her with bloodshot eyes while she measured his fluctuating heart rate. She could still vividly recall his blackened fingers while the dark smoke rose off his body, decaying his skin and regenerating new, painful growth. Dark blood oozed from his nose, thick and unnerving.

_“If this shit continues to go south, I need you to take care of them. I’m not sure how much time I have left…”_

“Both of them were.” Angela added with grief.

She pulled away, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.

She nearly jumped when she saw QR-A observing her in the doorway.

“All record of this will be erased from the compound’s footage. I was sworn to secrecy by Commander Morrison.” QR-A spoke carefully, eyeing Angela. “You are to keep this quiet as well. Dr. Ros wanted me to give this to you.”

QR-A handed a small computer chip to the doctor. “Everything you need to know is on that file, as well as the rest of his medical records. They must remain skewed as a heart defect within your reports. Understand, Dr. Ziegler?”

“Understood.” Angela replied, eyes wide.

QR-A’s stance only softened minutely. “We must get going. It’ll be lights out soon for the students, and Ezra’s roommate needs to return. I will wait for you outside of the door, doctor.”

Shaken with the news that it seemed QR-A had been entrusted by Jack to care for his son, she looked back down to the child, feeling more able to speak freely. “When was your dad her?”

“Christmas.” Ezra replied without hesitation. “He has to go out and fight bad guys, but I have to stay here.”

“Understandably so.” Angela pushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “Do you miss him?”

The child nodded.

That was a question that didn’t need answering.

Angela took a deep breath, “How about I come and visit you from time to time, too. Would that be all right with you?”

Of course it was all right with Ezra, who seemed please to gain more family. Living mostly by himself (save for other students), his outside world was very small. Angela smiled, “I promise to come back soon. We will take an afternoon to the park, if that is okay with QR-A, ja?”

“Okay. Could you bring some new books, too?” Ezra asked, motioning back to his own little library.

“Of course. How about I read you one before I go? Would you like that?”

Ezra’s eyes lit up while he went over to his bookcase and pulled out a Dr. Seuss book. He jumped back up onto the bed to sit beside the blonde. Angela ran her fingers over the cover ‘Mr. Brown can Moo, Can You?’

When she opened the book, she paused on the first page.

In Jack’s messy handwriting, he had printed in the corne:

**To Ezra,**

**Happy 3 rd birthday! **

**How loud can _you_ moo?**

**Love, Dad**

_Jack._

There was even a small doodle of a cow next to his name, similar to the little character Jack used to doodle in his notes when he got distracted at long meetings.

Angela smiled through her tears, through her relief at knowing that somewhere, Jack was alive and still himself.

She read the book to the child, who leaned against her; alive, breathing, and giggling while she read.

Her heart hadn’t felt this light in years.

*

*

*

“You know that old hag was sending data to Angela Ziegler, right?” Sombra asked aloud, glancing back towards the other members of Talon while she combed through the salvaged nanotech device they had found in Alessia Ros’s arm.

“Anything useful?” Widowmaker asked nonchalantly while she cleaned her gun.

“Mostly coordinates, some names. Old projects. There are only a few new ones, but nothing that seems out of the ordinary. Look.” Sombra snapped her fingers, allowing a list of the patients the doctor had been meeting with to come up. “Whatever she was hiding, she did a good job of destroying her device. Unfortunately for her, I’m the best.”

Moira looked through the names, a deep frown set on her face. “Most of these are nobodies. A few old Overwatch personnel, but we will have to investigate whether they have anything useful.”

“Why send it to Ziegler, though? She obviously had something she wanted her to see if this was the last message send.”

“This one doesn’t have a picture.” Moira tapped at one of the blank boxes.

“It looks like it was a kid. Maybe some dignitary’s brat?” Sombra shrugged.

“They all have photos.” Reaper noted as well. “Tap into that one.”

Sombra followed directions, still leaning back in her chair while the large holo-screen took them to the name associated with ‘Robin’.

It was a young boy, based out of Ireland. His medical details came up from below, flashing across the screen. Moira sighed, seeming unimpressed.

“Some brat, I told you. Usually little kids don’t have their photos in databases if the parents don’t consent to it.” Sombra pointed out.

“Right.” Reaper ground out, still scanning the information below. “How old is this kid?”

“Says the kid is five.” Sombra replied. “Was born in November.”

Reaper continued to stare at the medical data, fists clenching.

“Give me those coordinates.” He stated.

“So you can do what, babysit?” Sombra snorted, amused by the image. “The details said the kid is an orphan, unless you know them?”

“Just a hunch.” Reaper replied, voice level despite the war raging in his chest. He didn’t need to explain himself to the others.

Sombra shrugged, pulling out the file and transferring it to his own information device accessible by the holo-pad on his gauntlet.

Reaper continued to look at the medical data, allowing the storm of anger and hurt swirl through his insides.

Something wasn’t right.

The kid’s data mirrored his own SEP vitals, right down to the genetic heart defect, heart rate, and rare blood type.

Whatever Dr. Ros had been hiding from them, he had a feeling it was much bigger than what they could’ve possibly imagined, and much more _personal_. Knowing that Jack was still alive, he had a strong inclination on what precious asset was hiding in some nondescript boarding home in the middle of nowhere.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was a long time wait for this, and I appreciate your patience! We are getting closer to the end! I am also trying to incorporate new lore into the story as it comes out. Hoping the 2018 Uprising event will provide us with more details on Gabriel/Reaper. Til then, I’m going to continue extrapolating on what we do know while making my own guesses. ;) Next chapter will include more Jack and Gabe now that they have been dancing around one another long enough. 
> 
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> 


	10. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I heard your heart beating; you were in the darkness, too. So I stayed in the darkness with you.” –Florence Welch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a part where a character admits they attempted suicide, but were unsuccessful, and a character is mentioned that did take their own life. Other than that, enjoy the final chapter! ;__; <3

 

 

 

_Jack is alive._

The thought edged along the corners of his mind, nestled as a deep and constant reminder that out in the world, his mate was breathing and living life on the run. He had known his partner wasn’t dead the moment Jack decided to put on his Soldier 76 jacket and infiltrated the North American bases, looking for and disarming tech.

He had known when he saw the flowers at his gravesite.

Gabriel should’ve known that Jack was of course too stubborn to die.

He could remember the underlining panic he had felt, so distinct from the relief of knowing Jack had made it out alive, but they were now on different sides of the playing field. Gabriel had chosen his side clearly after Zurich when Talon had offered him a way out in exchange to teach him how to control the evolution of his powers.

He wasn’t brainwashed like Amelie, or too hungry for power to be blinded from reason like Akande; he was a middle ground in the ranks and had worked hard to build the years of trust the terrorist group had placed in him. Enough so now that he was considered a founding member.

When Jack first started causing problems, Amelie began to watch him more closely. Moira had sat next to him at a Talon meeting when one asked, “ _Is this going to be a problem?”_

_“No”_

Gabriel showed his allegiance by keeping his distance from his husband and making a point to shoot him in the back if Jack ever got too close.

He had to do what needed to be done.

This far in, he couldn’t have it be for nothing…after all, he was playing his part.

Jack was in a similar situation, trying to find solid footing in a world that had rejected their protection years ago. At least they were both still fighting, but there were times the exhaustion and loneliness took their toll.

He glanced again at the coordinates on the screen, frowning in thoughtful contemplation.

The alpha had made a point that he would go alone and investigate a few of the patients Dr. Ros had visited. He was curious, and in no way was he going to allow Moira to do it herself in fear of what she might find first.

A _five year old…_

For so long, he had believed Jack and their child had died in the fires of Zurich. Years later when Soldier 76 began to make appearances, he had reasoned that Jack had lost the pregnancy, just as he had lost everything else from their former life. There was no new mysterious child taken in by the Reyes or Morrison families. Gabriel had kept close watch on them, hoping with some held breath that a new son would come into the family.

Perhaps Jack had already anticipated the close tabs on their families after Overwatch’s fall. It was just like his omega to think of all the possible options.

With this new patient in the mix who mirrored many of his SEP vitals, and whose age could match up with when Jack was supposed to have given birth, Gabriel’s heart hammered with anticipation.

Jack was smart enough to hide someone he loved in another country, far, far away from the public’s eyes.

If this subject truly was his child that Dr. Ros was attending to, then he would have to take every precaution to keep him safe and off the radar.

This would be the only child ever born to two subjects of the Soldier Enhancement Program.

It would be of great interest to many scientists; especially Moira.

With Talon situated, Reaper had begged off the next mission. He took a single transport, disabling the trackers he knew about while debugging some of the extras Sombra had implanted.

He took off to research Dr. Ros’s subjects with the promise to be back by the following day.

“ _Just going to confirm the doctor wasn’t hiding something_.” He had stated gruffly when Akande watched him from across the room, eyes narrowed and seemingly unimpressed.

There were many things on his list that were more pressing, but none so much as this.

 _He needed to know_.

He paced back and forth on the transport, unable to settle his nerves.

The more he tried to wrap his head around the concept, the less confident he felt. He didn’t want to have hope. Gabriel thought often that maybe all of it was just a coincidence and he was reading into it too much.

Dr. Ros could’ve encrypted and falsified all sorts of information to keep them scrambling back and forth for correct data. Besides, keeping an infant alive after what Jack had gone through was even past what much of modern medicine was capable of.

If his child had truly survived the fall of Zurich, what would he do?

Could he remove his son from the hiding spot? Take the child and guide him under his wing?

Or would it be too dangerous to be housed under the same umbrella as the geneticist who could’ve had a part in his creation altogether?

For now, he needed to confirm his suspicions. He wasn’t sure what his next step would be, but he hoped it would all lead him in the right direction.

Gabriel Reyes had many titles attached to his name.

Mercenary. Blackwatch Commander. Killer. Betrayer.

How the hell could he possibly add ‘father’ into the mix?

*

He landed late in the rainy afternoon and decided to inspect the student in the boarding school at night.

Using the camouflage nanites on the ship, he found a relatively clear area to land a few miles south of the boarding school without anyone’s notice. He didn’t want to take any chances, even though he knew the security in the school was no match for his own capabilities.

The last thing he needed was to be in a local newspaper.

Using some of the tech that had been modified by Sombra and encrypted to leave no traces of consistent evidence, Gabriel was able to access the boarding school networks and search for ‘Robin’ within the administration’s database. A few students came up, but the search quickly narrowed after he input the correct age range.

A picture of a young boy with short dark wavy hair and light brown skin with freckles stared back at him, wearing a pristine uniform with a blue background.

Ezrael Andrew Robbins.

‘Ezra’ for short.

It took Gabriel back enough that he sat himself down, pouring over the details of the child. The boy had been enrolled into the school when he was only three and his new medical professional contact was of course, Dr. A, Ziegler.

The boy was born in November years ago, and had a special note in his file for his rare heart defect that Dr. Ziegler was attending to. The boy was also prone to occasional night terrors and had a history of insomnia related to his condition.

Other than the few small notes on his medical history, the boy was typically developing for his class and had no red flags of misbehavior or issues.

He looked like any other five year old, but Gabriel recognized those eyes.

 _His eyes_. 

The same color and shape that he had inherited from his mother’s side of the family.

Those same eyes looking back at him.

 Hope was an awful thing to hold on to, but he had never felt more confident that he had found his son. The only way to tell for sure now was to see him in person and scent him. Family always knew family, and if Ezra was truly his and Jack’s son, his scent wouldn’t lie.

Carefully, Gabriel looked up the boy’s lodging assignment and made a note of the map of the building and the set times around the facility when some of the Omnic workers patrolled the halls and checked in on the students.

Getting in would be easy, but he would need to time it precisely to avoid any unwanted complications.

*

It was late into the night, well past the ‘lights-out’ curfew. The students were all in bed at this point, leaving the grounds quiet and still in the cold windy night.

Gabriel had infiltrated hundreds of places in his lifetime, but this mission was starkly different from the rest. Despite his experience, he felt the quickening of his heart beating in his chest.

Feeling the nervousness of a possible reunion reminded him that he was still alive. Different in composition to most humans, he was still Gabriel Reyes at the heart of everything.

Not wanting to scare the boy in case he was awake, Gabriel decided to wear more civilian-friendly clothing and leave behind his mask. It would take focus to keep the nanites on his face from shifting, but he felt the boy deserved to see a human face versus something that could potentially frighten him for weeks.

Ezra’s room was on the third floor, but it was placed conveniently near building structures that could be easily climbed by someone with a super soldier background. He wondered to himself how many times Jack could’ve taken this exact route.

How many times did Jack, the ‘un-named uncle’, come to visit their son?

He scaled the last few feet and phased into a wraith form, shrinking his size enough to seep through the slightly-open window.

Once inside, he noted that both of the students were asleep. Ezra’s bed was on the right, close to the window with a desk just below it. He inspected the room soundlessly, getting a feel for Ezra’s space. He noticed the drawing the boy had clipped on his corkboard over his bed.

They were simple scribbles; one of a rocket ship with a gorilla, and the other of the boy with his ‘uncle.’ Gabriel noticed the white hair and scar haphazardly drawn on the geometric shape, and frowned.

The last few items were some postcards. One was from London, and the other two were from Indiana and California.

_Subtle, Jack._

He reached across and pulled off the postcard from Indiana. On the back there was a doodle of some dairy cows and corn in Jack’s messy script. The letter simply wrote: “Missing you ‘MOO’re and ‘MOOre’ each day. Love, –D.”

_Dad._

It made his heart ache.

“Are you lost?”

He stilled.

The boy continued. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

Gabriel looked down, finding Ezra had opened his eyes with the covers still pulled up to his chin, staring at him in disbelief. Somewhere in the few seconds, the boy had awakened to the strange intruder leaning across his twin size bed.

The old mercenary set the postcard back on the corkboard and pinned it in place. “I was just looking.”

Ezra regarded him warily. “Are you the boogeyman?”

Gabriel was amused. “Definitely not.”

“How do I know you’re not?”

Gabriel thought about it for a moment, wondering how it was he could prove he wasn’t going to hurt the child. “Does the boogeyman look like me?” He questioned. His face looked unmarred by the nanites while he focused the energy into keeping up a human, corporeal appearance.

Ezra sat up, watching the intruder critically. “You have red eyes.”

“Some people happen to have red eyes.”

“Do they hurt?”

“No.”

“Did QR-A let you in?”

“I missed visiting hours.” Gabriel reasoned. He sat at the edge of the bed, amused by the way the boy sized him up cautiously and interrogated him. He didn’t scream or shy away from a stranger like some people would.  

The boy leaned closer, taking in the new scent. His brows scrunched in thought while he watched Gabriel’s movements closely. Eventually, he spoke up again, “You smell familiar.”

“I would hope so. My name is Gabriel, Ezra. Do you know who I am?” The old commander asked. He could scent Ezra clearly from the small space between them. He smelled like _home_ and _family_ ; all the things that confirmed Gabriel’s suspicions.

He knew his son must have felt it as well.

The alpha’s stomach was in knots while his heart continued to beat fast.

“Stay there.” Ezra ordered. He wiggled out of his bed covers and planted his feet on the ground, bending down to search for something under his bed. Gabriel observed him with interest, finding the whole exchange surreal.

He thought perhaps the child sensed the bond of family as well, slowly allowing Gabriel to earn his trust. That, and Gabriel’s own scent only exuded a joyful type of nervousness.

Eventually, the boy pulled out a weathered looking charcoal colored hoodie that had faded with time.

Gabriel immediately recognized it as one of his old staple pieces. He’d worn that hoodie, and many others like it, for years.

The boy took a deep inhale of the scent on the clothing, and then looked pointedly to the visitor.

“This was my papa’s.” He held out the piece of clothing.

Gabriel took it, his hands surprisingly steady. “It is.”

“You smell the same. Just…smoky.”

“I guess I’ve changed a little bit over time.”

Ezra looked at him, wide eyed.

“Dad said you died a long time ago.” The boy explained, still unsure even though his own senses were picking up on the bond that family held. It was that scent and bond that kept the child from running away or screaming for help.

His instincts were naturally more relaxed in the presence of his parent.

“I was lost.” Gabriel stated instead, still keeping up the effort to keep his form human-like. It was difficult, but at least the darkness of the room offered him some leeway. He could see the glow of the soul housed within his son, burning bright and strong like Jack’s. “I found you now.”

Ezra was still unsure. “Do I have to leave with you?”

“No.” Gabriel replied quickly. “You’re safe here. I just wanted to see you.” He held out his hand, dissipating the harshness of the glove to a hand that looked untouched by the decay of the nanites. “I’m your father.”

The child looked between the offered hand and face skeptically, but he eventually held out his arm, pressing his warm hand to the cooler touch of the mercenary’s skin. More comfortable knowing the ‘entity’ wasn’t a ghost, he came closer. “How do you change like that?”

“I know magic.” Gabriel explained. He glanced over to the still sleeping roommate. “Do you like it here?”

“I do.” Ezra replied. “I have lots of friends.”

Gabriel brushed his fingers over the wavy brown hair, noting the child had the same cowlick on the back of his skull as Jack did. Fondness overfilled his heart, making it almost painful to keep his focus on his appearance and not on the small reunion.

He couldn’t stay long, though.

He couldn’t cause suspicion in the others when he reported back that he had found nothing of interest.

There was no way in hell he’d allow anyone from Talon know about the one perfect thing he had left on this world. A child, who was as every bit a part of him as he was Jack.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you.” He whispered, allowing his son to trace the lines on his calloused, weathered hands. “I couldn’t find you.”

“Do you fight bad people, too?”

Gabriel knew that to the most extent of it, he _was_ the bad guy.

Instead, he shook his head, “I have a different mission, _mijo_. It’s a very long, complicated one.”

Ezra looked up at his face. “Dad misses you. He gets sad whenever he talks about you.”

“I miss him, too. Death couldn’t keep me from you both.” He opened his arms, offering for his son to know his scent.

The child paused. “You’re sure you’re not a zombie or a ghost?”

“I can assure you I’m not.” Gabriel promised.

His son was still cautious, but eventually wiggled into his arms and hugged him back, taking in the scent that was so similar to his own.

  _Family_.

Although the older man’s scent had changed from the medical alterations, it didn’t completely erase the familiarity that family felt for one another. A scent rooted deeply in genetics and biology, which no amount of chemicals could remove completely.

Gabriel could feel the quickened heartbeat, mirroring his own steadily. He kissed the top of the boy’s head, wishing things could’ve been different.

Wishing he and Jack were together, as a family, with their son in a safe part of the world.

“I’ll come see you again soon.” Gabriel said. “Next time I’ll bring you something.”

“Maybe you can bring some gifts for dad, too?”

 “Next time. I need to go so that you can sleep.”

“Promise you’ll be back next month?” Ezra questioned.

“Of course.” Gabriel agreed. “I promise.”

The alpha took his old hoodie and wrapped it around the boy’s shoulders, loosely tying it on the front. He helped guide his son back under his covers and tucked him in, kissing his forehead while trying to hold back the tears.

“Get some sleep, _mijo_. I’ll see you soon. Don’t tell anyone I came to visit you, okay?”

Ezra nodded and watched him owlishly, uttering a small “Bye, papa.”

Not wanting to scare the boy with his powers, he instructed carefully. “You have to close your eyes so that I can leave. My magic only works when no one is looking.”

Ezra followed his instruction, closing his eyes and covering them with the sleeves of the sweatshirt.

When he was sure the boy’s eyes were closed, he dissipated into smoke and drifted back out through the window, relocating to the base of the boarding school.

Now knowing his son was alive and well, he had a change of plans to consider.

The alpha knew that eventually, he and his mate would need to have a talk.

Luckily, he knew where to find him.

*

*

*

The recall beacon was relentless.

Jack felt like it was there to spite him.

It was a nagging overseer while he cleaned his gun and checked his gear in preparation for his next patrol around a possible weapon supplier for Hakim. They wouldn’t be leaving for a few more hours until the daylight bled out of the sky.

 Ana was securing her own devices, well aware of Jack’s frustrations.

She shut the laptop with a loud snap, causing the fellow omega to turn his attention to her.

“Are we going to talk about it?” Ana examined him from across the room.

Jack grimaced. “Why? It’s not like we’re going to answer the call. We’re ghosts, _remember_?”

The older woman gave him a barely-impressed look. “It’s been years, Jack. Perhaps it’s time we take our talents back into a team setting.”

“We are a team.”

“Yes, but we’re also low on supplies and we could use the help.” Ana looked around their makeshift hideout, concern unmistakable from the darkness beneath her eye. They had been running thin over the last two weeks, and their reserves could only take them so much farther. “The signal is coming from Gibraltar. It wouldn’t take us long to get there.”

Jack huffed. “I thought we did better in the shadows.”

“We did, for a time, but Alessia is dead and Talon is only growing stronger. I know you feel the tides are turning, too.” The gray haired omega walked over to her friend and placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “We should make the right decision before we are swept out to sea.”

Jack was quiet for a moment, his scarred face a reminder of all he had sacrificed to get here. He thought of his agents and their families, of his _own_ family, and what they had lost. 

“What if they find out about Ezra? If Talon confirms I’m alive, they’ll look for him.”

“Then we say you miscarried after Zurich.” Ana replied. “No one would question it.”

Jack knew that none of the agents would pry further if he offered up that explanation. He looked like hell enough for people not to question the extent of the pain he had endured after everything went to hell.

Ever since the recall signal had reached Ana’s encrypted device, Jack had been thinking about the possibilities of reuniting with some of his former agents. The United Nations was making little progress with their anti-terrorist initiatives, especially when it came to Talon, who was as far-reaching and relentless as the worst of them.

Of course Talon had to be.

They had Gabriel with them.

Jack thought bitterly of his mate, who had shown up behind him and shot him in the back the last time they crossed paths. He thought of the attack at Giza and the way Gabriel had spat out Jack’s name, reminding him he knew his every move, reminding him that they were still somehow connected in the static hum of a bond that didn’t quite sever completely.

No hugs, no tears, no sweet reunions.

Before the encounter, Jack had been suspicious that there was something more to the mercenary known as ‘Reaper.’ It wasn’t until they encountered each other in person that he realized his worst nightmares; Talon had a hold on Gabriel, and his mate was no longer the man he had known for most of his life.

Ana had confirmed as much after seeing the alpha without his mask.

It was Gabriel, but he was changed.

The nanites had taken his body to its limits.

Jack sat on the edge of the cot, looking over their sparse room and noting the ache in his shoulders and back. Albeit he was a super soldier, he was still a man carrying the burdens that age brought on. He was tired and bruised in many places, and he could only imagine how Ana felt.

“So we waltz into Gibraltar? Surprise everyone by telling them we’re not dead?” The former commander scoffed. “Seems like an asshole move.”

“It’s not like they haven’t figured out who Soldier: 76 is. You’re not subtle, Jack.”

“And you are?”

Ana shrugged a shoulder. “More than you. So it’s settled, then. I’m going to go to Gibraltar and face the next step of what needs to be done. You can follow me, or stay behind.” She set her sniper rifle on the dusty wooden table. “I’m leaving in the morning after this raid. I’ll be contacting my daughter to let her know I’m coming beforehand.”

Jack nodded. “I won’t stop you.”

It was a way of surrendering to the inevitable.

They couldn’t keep going on like this, and despite his stubbornness he had to admit that Ana was right. They were stronger in numbers when they had more resources and more minds to tackle an issue.

He looked back at the beacon and figured perhaps it was time he made his own reunions before Gibraltar. On the map, it showed a wing symbol in the far north of London.

Knowing Angela had already paid his son a visit, he felt he owed it to her to give her an explanation and ensure Ezra’s safety. He didn’t doubt that the doctor would hold on to the secret, but Jack had questions of his own.

“I’m going to steal one of the supplier’s transports tonight after we’ve finished with the first objective.”

Ana looked surprised. “And where are you heading off to?”

“I’m going to see Angela and convince her to come down to Gibraltar. We could use her help.”

A glint of approval came across the older omega’s face. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. I’ll meet with you back at base and we’ll go from there. I’ll send a message to Winston right now.”

Jack sad back in his chair with mixed feelings.

After living life on the run for so long, he hoped he could adjust to a more ‘normal’ setting around his old teammates. There was still a touch of hesitance over the whole plan, but he knew a change needed to happen.

The world was changing, and he needed to adapt and be prepared for the next step.

It was a matter of survival.

*

*

Angela Ziegler wasn’t difficult to track down.

Jack felt he owed her a visit after finding out she had visited Ezra at the boarding school and was assigned as his new doctor. QR-A had been keeping him up to date with Ezra’s progress, and that included whatever visitors came to see his son.

The doctor would’ve already figured it out, just as much as she must’ve known Jack was still alive.

Not wanting to show up unannounced, he contacted her through her private line, arranging to meet with her at an old library in south London close to where she was staying. The library didn’t have any advanced surveillance systems, and he had slept in the back area meant for reading groups a few times before while on the run.

It wasn’t the most civil meeting spot, but it had the basics.

Jack surveyed the large glass panels in the back with the currently disabled exit door, the same one he had used to sneak in. There was a garden outside with old trees that provided plenty of cover and sound while the wind rustled the leaves.

He was looking through a few of the books that had been left behind by the last book club when Angela came through the door, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a dark green hooded jacket over a black sweater. She set her backpack down when she entered and looked to Jack’s unmasked face with disbelief.

“I _knew_ it!” She pointed at him accusingly. “ _Five years_ we’ve been toeing around this, and now you finally come back-!“

“Hey, Angela.”

She caught her breath, choked up with emotion while Jack approached her. “For so long, so long, Jack- I thought I had failed you and Gabriel- And then I see you both undercover on the news, and had hoped you would come to see me, but you never left a trace of where I could find you.“

Jack pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I know I should’ve come to you sooner, but I was afraid of Talon keeping you on their radar because of me.”

“I can handle them.” She replied without hesitance. “Gods, it has been _so long_ …”

“I know, but I wouldn’t risk it.”

Angela pulled away, wiping her eyes.

Tears of both joy and frustration.

She inhaled deeply, getting a hold of her nerves while Jack led her to sit at one of the tables. He sat next to her, his body turned towards hers. Angela settled her bag at her side and pulled out a file, sliding it across to Jack while she gathered her wits.

Inside, there was a picture of Ezra and a drawing.

“He asked me to give this to you when I saw you next.” Angela explained, watching Jack closely while he inspected the drawing of a messy lizard on the front. “When Dr. Ros had sent me there, I didn’t know what to expect…I had always hoped you two had made it out, but I felt foolish. Seeing your son healthy and alive had made all my work worth it. I’ve visited him twice now, and I wish I could see him more.”

Jack bit his lip, nodding. “Thank you, Ang. I would’ve pulled him out of the school if it wasn’t for you stepping into Dr. Ros’s place. I didn’t know how to contact you about it. I was afraid of how much Talon was tracking you.”

“I’ve been using my methods to keep all of my side work confidential. He’s a sweet boy, Jack. I’m so thankful you two both made it out of Zurich. You’ve done so much to keep him safe and I won’t do anything to jeopardize it.” She put her hand over his and squeezed it reassuringly. “I can’t imagine how these years have been for you.”

Jack smiled wistfully. “I try not to think too much about it.” He set the card down. ”I thought I owed it to you to see you before I go to Gibraltar. Ana has already gone before me to meet with Fareeha. I know you weren’t intending to answer the recall, but I’m hoping you’ll reconsider.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Jack.” Angela’s eyes softened. “I’m not sure how much help I could provide. You have Ana, who is more than qualified with biotics.”

“We could use a doctor.” Jack insisted. “You already know Moira is with them. You’re the only one knowledgeable enough to figure out what she’s doing and help combat her tech.”

The younger woman didn’t want to admit Jack’s statement was true, but she knew enough about the antics her former colleague had involved herself in. Combatting Moira’s advances would need someone who knew how the acclaimed scientist thought and worked.

“The last time I tried to fix something Moira had created, it went to hell, Jack. You know that. Moira took her research far from where I could follow.” She looked down at her hands, now running along the edge of the folder. “I tried to heal Gabriel and I only made things worse.”

Jack’s eyes softened. “You didn’t know.”

The beta shook her head in disagreement. “But I did, Jack. I knew the odds and I still tried to reverse something that couldn’t be undone.” She looked to her commander, her eyes hardened with regret. “I tried to save him in Zurich, Jack. I tried, even though I knew pulling him back from the brink could push the evolution of the nanites into disorder. Moira did have it under control, but I tampered with it.”

“You were with Gabriel?”

“I found him. When the bombs went off, I couldn’t find you. I got to Gabriel first and by the time I reached him, he was-“She took a deep breath. “It wasn’t good, Jack. I feared I had lost you, and I couldn’t lose him, too. I tried to save him, but he crumbled into ashes in my hands. We never found his body.”

“But he came back, as Reaper.”

“Yes…” Angela sighed. “I didn’t want to believe the stories I read, but all signs pointed to your mate. The descriptions, the use of nano-tech…”

Jack could tell the doctor thought about his mate often. He knew she had been trying to help him even before the fall of Zurich, after Moira had left her position and Gabriel was scrambling to keep his health under control.

The omega remembered his mate’s absences, the blood on the pillow cases, and the heavy fatigue in his eyes.

He had never agreed to Gabriel working with Moira on fixing what the soldier enhancement serum was breaking down, but the idea of losing his mate made him turn a blind eye to the illegal experimentation and funding of Dr. O’Deorain’s projects in Blackwatch.

Jack knew that in a sense, he had played his part in Gabriel’s undoing.

Things had taken a major turn though, after the last mission Gabriel had taken to South America. It was the point in which they began fighting more often, and he noticed a difference in his partner. He bit at his lip.

“What happened in that Blackwatch mission in Brazil? Gabriel kept it so tightly under wraps, and plenty of the information was skewed for as to why their extraction was delayed by a week. When he came back, he wasn’t the same.”

Angela tapped her fingers on the folder. “Gabriel had a heart attack while on the mission in South Brazil. Moira did what she thought was necessary and issued a large dose of her serum to save him and repair the damage. In doing so, it began pushing him past the point that he could handle.”

“ _Shit_ …” Jack gritted his teeth.

“He really did love you, Jack. I promised him to keep some of the information from you, and for that, I am sorry. My code at the time was patient confidentiality, but Gabriel and I were over our heads in trying to ‘fix’ his situation.”

Jack didn’t want to hear why she kept the secret from him. He understood, but it didn’t hurt any less. “Its fine, Ang. You did what you had to do.”

“I never felt settled with it, but Gabriel was afraid. He didn’t want you to worry about him, either.” Angela added. “When he came back, he distanced himself from you on purpose. Things were touch and go for quite a while there.”

Jack took a deep breath. “I wish he would’ve told me.”

“I’ve carried the guilt for years. I always held out hope that somehow, you had survived the explosion. When they said they recovered your body, they wouldn’t allow me to identify or run an autopsy.” Angela stated, “They said they had pulled you out in pieces.”

“Why wouldn’t they run DNA?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps they wanted to put the whole issue of Overwatch to rest. Killing off the two main commanders was a conveniently easy route. There have been plenty of conspiracy theories, as I’m sure you’ve read.”

“I’ve become familiar with them all. They never did find the root cause of who brought in those explosives, nor convict anyone.”

“A few anti groups did try to raise claim over it, but there was enough money passing through hands and pockets to keep those in the know quiet. Now, most of them are dead. Killed off by Talon.”

Jack sat back in his seat. “Come with me to Gibraltar. Your knowledge and research into Zurich will help us.”

Angela was hesitant.

Jack persisted. “Consider it a fresh start. You’ve been carrying your guilt for long enough; it’s time to do something with it.”

She eyed him. “Is that an order, Strike Commander?”

“I’ll put your name on the roster.” The older omega stated with finality. “We leave first thing at dawn.”

“I’ll do my best.” Angela looked back down at the folder, at Ezra’s photograph. She was nervous about reuniting with the others after so long away, but she felt she owed it to Jack and her Overwatch family to at least try.

There were enough regrets that she held on to.

She wanted to make things right.

*

*

The trip down to Gibraltar only took a few hours.

It was enough time for Jack to check through all of his gear while Angela did much the same. She looked over her old weaponry, frowning. “I hope the upgrades will be a part of this deal.”

“Ana and I have stolen back enough tech from old military facilities to keep us going. We will be well-equipped. Besides, Winston has plenty of gear provided.”

She hummed, not quite convinced.

They had made contact beforehand with the agents posting for the recall, and Jack had already solidified Angela’s presence in that roster. Ana had gone before them, already settling her reunion with the group while she waited for the former Strike Commander and Dr. Ziegler to make their way down.

Once they landed at the docking bay in Gibraltar, Jack began to feel nervous about whether or not he would be received well by the others. He still worried about his failures as a Strike Commander; had always carried the weight that he had failed all of them.

 When the doors opened out onto the grounds, he felt Angela taking hold of his wrist, coaxing him along patiently.

Out on the landing pad stood Winston, Lena, Ana, Fareeha, and Jesse.

“Welcome back, commander!” Lena cheered, smiling wide while she ran to him.

He received the hug openly from one of his youngest agents, stricken with the sudden bloom of delight and home. Lena then brought Angela into a hug while Jack straightened out, receiving Fareeha next who chided him for being dead so long.

He greeted each agent shakily, holding back the string of emotions that welled heavy in his throat.

After so many years, the puncture of loss he had felt when things began to fall apart still ached in the back of his chest. There were so many more hopes and dreams he had had for his agents and the existence of Overwatch, and somehow, he hoped he could see them through with this second chance at life.

The Petras Act was still in full effect, but the United Nations was beginning to teeter as it attempted to reestablish world order without a properly funded task force. Local militaries were called into action, but the efforts and expertise didn’t match the types of recruits and technology Overwatch had possessed.

“We laid out lunch.” Fareeha smiled, crossing her arms. “Jesse even went into town and brought us some proper drinks to toast with.”

“It’s not every day you have two people come back from the dead.” Jesse tilted his hat, but the joke had an edge of bitterness to it.

Jack couldn’t blame him.

“Let’s get to it. I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on.” Angela suggested.

The omega followed, feeling overwhelmed with the greetings and all of the familiar scents assaulting his senses at once. It would take an adjustment to be back in the group setting, but he knew he had to do his best to regain their trust and help their efforts in combatting Talon and other terrorist organizations.

There was a promise that more agents were on their way, as well as many willing to help across the globe.

Sitting around the table around his family and friends, saturated in the scents of joy and loss, Jack did his best to ignore the ache he felt for his mate at his side. The moment, while sweet and appreciated, felt sour at times.

As much as it was a reminder of what they had, it was also a stark contrast to what they had lost.

He missed Gerard and his wise quips on pop culture references.

He missed the betting games between Jesse and Genji while they played cards and called each other’s bluffs.

He missed Torbjorn’s quick-fix remedies for everything and Reinhardt’s over enthusiasm.

He missed the hustle and bustle of the rec rooms, where everyone converged after long meetings to de-stress and remind one another that at the core, they were all creatures who yearned for warmth and comfort.

Most of all, he missed Gabriel, the one who had been his steady constant for so many years.

Without him, it wasn’t the same.

*

*

It was strange to be back.

Jack had thought about this moment for many sleepless nights; wondering how a reunion with his former agents and family would go and whether or not they would take the news of his existence well.

Smoothed over by Ana, the news of his return had gone better than he had thought. His situation had already been explained in detail; his rescue in Zurich by Ana and the late Dr. Ros, his long recovery, and his work as a vigilante.

No one mentioned the loss of his son and mate.

Gibraltar had always been one of Jack’s favorite bases. The weather was usually reasonable and the ocean air coming up past the cliffs did wonders for his health. There were many sunrises and sunsets that he had spent overlooking the scenery, his mate at his side while they sipped on coffee and enjoyed the sounds of the ocean waves and sea birds in the distance.

Living on the refurbished base was both new and familiar.

He was used to the same hallways, the same tech (now updated).

He wasn’t used to the smaller number of personnel or the areas where they had rigged some of the leftover tech and space to accommodate their new needs. The base was very quiet, save for the few spaces that they occupied.

The omega enjoyed hearing the chatter between Winston, Lena, and Angela while they talked science and business, setting up the old computers and cross-referencing data while Ana stood close by, nursing a hot cup of oolong tea.

Jesse made a point to wander around the base, scouting for anything out of the ordinary or for anything they could find useful.

Many of the others began to set up their own makeshift workshops, fixing and updating old tech and defense systems to keep them shrouded from Talon.

Jack walked around the base, hands behind his back, observing and helping where he was needed.

Despite his existence, he still felt like a ghost, wandering down the halls that held so many memories and years of his life as the Strike Commander.

His old quarters were in a sad state of affairs after different agencies had come through and raided what they could after Overwatch’s fall. He decided to take a different room, one that was smaller and more suited to his basic needs.

When he passed by the room he had shared with Gabriel, he noticed Jesse inside, looking around the room somberly.

Jack leaned against the doorframe. “They didn’t leave much, did they?”

Jesse chuckled, shaking his head.

“It’s just like ‘em to try to raid the belongings and pawn them off to collectors.” Jesse replied, a hint of melancholy in his voice. “Sad to see ‘the Strike Commander’s desk chair’ on eBay.”

“How much did that go for?”

“More than it was worth, I’m sure.”

Jack made a sound of agreement as he entered his old military apartment. All the windows had been broken at some point, allowing for the weather and local seabirds to make a mess of the interior. Much of the paint was chipping off the walls, making the home look even more sad and decrepit.

The younger man sniffed. “You both didn’t deserve it. After Zurich, there were so many vultures out here, looking to make a dime off your names.”

“I never held anything of value, other than the photos and the small things.”

“We made sure those went to your families.” Jesse rubbed at his nose. “We did what we could to try and preserve some of your honor. I figure you wouldn’t want candids out floating around for the gossip mags.”

It was a relief.

“Thank you, Jesse. You were one to always think outside the box when times were rough.” Jack peered into his bedroom, then his closet. All were mostly bare save for some old military issued furniture. He turned to look at the old Blackwatch agent. “I’m sorry things haven’t been easy for you. I tracked your movements these last few years while you’ve been on the run. I wanted to help, so I tried to wire some funds to you.”

“Sad to say I might’ve spent it on alcohol.” Jesse snorted. “It just keeps the fun in everything, doesn’t it? Can’t run from my name or my past, but I made do.”

Jack smiled, the lines at his eyes more pronounced. “We at least have that in common.”

Jesse rested his hands at his belt. His thumbs ran along the aged leather. “Now we can do things right, by our own terms and rules. No more assholes breathing down our necks. I don’t suppose you ever reconnected with Petras?”

Jack barked a laugh. “I should mail him some flaming dog shit, shouldn’t I?”

“Send a drone in. I’m sure we could arrange that.” The sharpshooter grinned wide at the image while he began to make his way out of the sad space. “How about we knock back a few beers later, for old times’ sake? We could all use it.”

“Sure. I’ll be down in an hour. I wanted to sift through things here.”

Jesse stopped at the doorway.

He was hesitant, pulling together his words while he looked over his shoulder. “No one should’ve gone through what you went through. What they did to you was wrong. I’m sorry about your son. I visited your graves every year and wondered what could’ve been. You’ve been the closest thing to family I’ve ever had in this world.” He could barely make eye contact with Jack while he opened up, letting the words take their meaning. “If you ever want to shoot shit or get your mind off things, you know where to find me.”

Jack kept his eyes to the ground.

“Thank you, Jesse.”

The young outlaw left Jack to mull over his thoughts and what remained of the apartment he had shared with Gabriel over a lifetime ago.

He couldn’t find the reasoning to live in the run down space, other than the reminders of his time living there. Barely any survived, as most of the building had been decommissioned and parts were sold out or recycled.

Some things remained, as relics of their glory days.

Jack traced the walls with his hands and looked around to some of the familiar cracks in the wall and layout of the floor.

If he used his imagination just right, he could envision his mate there with them, and their son, piled around a living room couch while they ate popcorn and drank homemade horchata.

Gabriel had always been an avid movie lover. It would be like him to show all of his favorites to his son, similar to when he was dating Jack and made sure the omega saw all the classics.

 _One day_. He thought. If the odds ever turned in their favor and the world quieted enough to allow Jack a peaceful life, he wanted to give Ezra the kind of upbringing he deserved.

He wanted to take him to meet his and Gabriel’s sides of the family. Let the boy learn who his cousins and, grandparents, and aunts and uncles were.

With the world as it was, the desire would serve as one of the many driving points to get Talon off their power trip, and help settle the debt in Zurich.

It would take time.

*

*

*

It had been six weeks since Jack had last visited Ezra.

It was six weeks _too long_ , though Jack had gone longer before when he was on the run.

The omega felt the need to see, care for, and protect his son like a deeply rooted alarm. It was hard to ignore once the nagging feeling came on, and Jack often worried that the feeling also triggered some of his senses that something was wrong.

QR-A hadn’t given him any updates that could be flagged as unusual. The boy was doing fine in school and still drew pictures to send to Jack.

It wasn’t until a drawing was sent that caught his emotions off guard and his fear reeling.

The topic was ‘family’, and in the drawing were three stick figures. The smallest one was Ezra, while he drew in Jack with a pale crayon and white hair, and then an all-black figure with a brown face he entitled ‘papa’ and red eyes.

The bottom of the figure’s body wisped up into black scribbles.

_Gabriel._

He showed the image to Ana, who looked as alarmed as he did upon the revelation. “Did Gabriel visit him?”

“He must have. The figure has red eyes; it’s a dead giveaway.”

Ana cursed under her breath.

“I need to go to him and find out what happened.”

Jack paced through his room while Ana stood at his doorway, “Do you need me to go with you?”

“I’ll go myself and send you updates. If you don’t hear back from me every hour, then you know what to do.”

“I’ll be on standby.” The older woman confirmed.

The older omega didn’t question the restless need Jack was feeling to check in on his son. She had experienced it herself many times before with Fareeha.

Ana wouldn’t hold him back.

*

He didn’t get in to the outskirts of Ezra’s boarding school until close to sunset. There, he waited in the small transport carrier covered by the thick forest brush and camouflaged by the ship’s cloaking sensors.

He felt jittery and somewhat ridiculous for possibly jumping the gun, but he couldn’t blatantly ignore the drawing.

QR-A had already confirmed that Ezra was safe and hadn’t shown any signs of distress or out of the ordinary mannerisms.

Still, Jack needed to know for himself that his son was okay. His parental instincts to protect were in overdrive, making the wait all the more miserable for when it would be lights out for the school.

The omega cleaned out his sidearm while waiting. Afterwards, he paced around the transport to let out some of the nervous energy.

Hours later, when darkness had fallen over the land and it was well past lights-out for the students, Jack geared up and put on a dark navy hoodie. He adjusted a makeshift visor to the side of his right eye that was similar to what he had in his Strike Commander days, courtesy of Winston.

As if from muscle memory, he scaled up the walls of the school and slipped past the security checkpoints, going through the motions like a well-choreographed dance. He wasn’t sure how many times he had done this over and over in his efforts to see his son, but it was well worth it once he made it.

When he peered into his son’s dorm room, he found Ezra and his roommate in their respective beds, asleep.

He snuck through the window quietly, only wincing when his hip popped uncomfortably to get through the small space.

The shifting around and familiar scent of the omega awoke his son, who turned to look at him groggily from his bed. “Dad?”

“Hey, kiddo.” Jack whispered. He could see his son’s features from the light of the moon and the night light casting a green glow against him. “I just came to check on you for a bit. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Ezra wasn’t bothered while he sat up from his bed and extended his arms out for a hug. Jack indulged him, lifting up the sleepy child to kiss the top of his head and hold him tenderly.

The effect of his son’s scent was immediate. His nerves began to settle while they held one another, conveying the safety and comfort they felt in being reunited. Jack ran his fingers through his son’s wavy hair, trying to lull him back to sleep while he rocked him.

He noticed that Ezra had Gabriel’s sweatshirt on his pillow.

“When did you start sleeping with papa’s jacket again?” He asked quietly, still mindful of the other boy fast asleep across from them.

“Since papa came to visit me.” Ezra replied.

That was enough to confirm Jack’s fears. He grit his teeth.

“Is that why you drew a picture of him?” Jack asked, trying to sound level and calm even though his mind was thinking up how to extract his son from the school and take him somewhere safer.

“Papa wanted to see me.” Ezra pulled away, looking at his father. “I wasn’t ‘sposed to say, but papa uses magic to come see me.”

“When was he last here? How many times has he come to see you?” Jack asked a little more desperately.

His son thought for a moment, still waking up. “A few times. Papa brings me treats sometimes. He said he would be back.” Ezra took in his father’s distressed scent and frowned. “Are you okay, dad?”

Jack kissed the top of Ezra’s head again, breathing in his scent to ground him from his anxieties.

When Jack didn’t reply, Ezra spoke up again. “Papa said he would wait for you the next time you came.”

“What?”

“He said he misses you.”

Jack felt sick with dread. He wondered if Gabriel was toying with him somehow and using their son as a means to egg him on. When he breathed deeply, he could scent some of the familiar tones of Gabriel’s presence, saturated near his son’s neck. He ran his thumb over the patch of skin, frowning. “I’m going to go talk to your papa. Stay here. I’ll be back in a few days, okay?”

“You’re leaving already?” Ezra whined, upset.

“Shhh, it won’t be long this time.” He hugged him again and carried him back to the top of his bed, tucking his child back under the covers. “Be good, okay?”

“Okay…” Ezra trailed off, wiping at his eyes. He was used to the times Jack came in, only for a few minutes to check him over and leave. The boy knew better than to throw a fit, and luckily he was already too exhausted to have a meltdown.

To at least appease his son, Jack sat next to him on the bed, stroking his hair peacefully until it lulled the boy to sleep. Once certain that Ezra was fast asleep, he prepared himself to leave.

Jack looked around the room one last time, wishing he had more time. However, he needed to track down his mate to figure out what kind of game Gabriel was trying to play.

_‘He misses you.’_

It made Jack sick. 

When it came to the protection of his son, the omega was ready to fight tooth and nail.

*

*

After leaving the school, he went towards his transport to do some research on where the elusive alpha might’ve stalked off to. Unfortunately, Jack met him on the outskirts of the boarding school where the trees began to thicken and offer the type of privacy a reunion such as their's would need.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the familiar black outline.

They were on separate sides of the playing field now, but their bond and history still rooted them deeply together.

Two sides of the same coin.

“Was wondering when you would show up.” Gabriel said by way of greeting. He kept his mask on, watching Jack carefully.

Jack was sizing him up ten feet away.

Gabriel held out his hands. “I think there’s something we need to discuss.”

“How long have you been waiting here?”

“Our son said you usually visit him on Sundays. I figured I’d catch you at some point.”

Jack looked away, hurt and anger clear in his eyes.

The omega’s scent reeked of stress.

Gabriel didn’t want this to devolve into something they couldn’t recover from.

“I’m not going to hurt Ezra.” He stated firmly. “You know I would never do that.”

“I don’t know who the fuck you are anymore.” Jack spat bitterly.  “I’m not even sure I can trust you. You’ve shot me in the back, you asshole.”

“If I had wanted to kill or seriously injure you, I would’ve. If anything, I left you with a bruise I knew you could handle.”

The younger man shook his head; not wanting to believe Gabriel would try to give him that sort of kindness and thought in battle. He had played into it well, believing his partner to hate him with whatever displaced emotions he was experiencing.

“So after the fall, you scampered off to Talon now? How long have you been their lapdog?” Jack tried to suppress the emotion in his voice, but it was difficult when his body tried to remind him that this was his _mate_ , the man he had spent most of his life with.

Their bond was in life and in death.

“I have my own motives, just as you have yours.” Gabriel shot back. “However, I also want to keep Ezra safe. We can at least agree to protect him, right?”

Jack growled. “What the hell do you think I’ve been doing for him for five fucking years, Gabriel! You have no right!”

The omega advanced on his mate and shoved at the alpha’s shoulders violently, his anger palpable.

Gabriel frowned. “I did my best to keep you both safe.”

The omega scoffed, a deep and ugly sound.

“Safe from what? _You_?” Jack hissed. “How long were you a part of Talon?  Was this before or after I got pregnant?”

“Jack-“

“Where the fuck were you when they were going to arrest me? Where were you when I needed you most?!”

Reaper let the old soldier shove him again.

“We were supposed to be in this _together_. No secrets, no fucking side plans-“ Jack felt his voice cracking from the strain of emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me what Moira had done to you was going out of control? You even had Angela covering for you! All those lies, Gabriel. How do you fucking live with yourself?”

“Jack-“

The omega wiped his eyes, angry with himself, his mate, and everything they had been thrown in life. It wasn’t fair that after five years, he and Gabriel would still be as distant as they had been at the end of their marriage.

A part of Jack wanted to give everything up.

Give up the vigilante work, the misplaced feelings of responsibility, and the drive that he was somehow responsible for fixing everything that had gone wrong in Overwatch. He wanted ultimately to stop giving a damn, to stop feeling the weight on his shoulders even though he was out of the public eye.

He just wanted to be Jack Morrison, a nobody from Indiana.

He wanted his son and mate with him, like an actual family, but everything was too far gone to try and claim any sense of normalcy.

Everything was bubbling up and spilling over before he could contain and tamper down the bottomless well of emotions that had only dug deeper and deeper with time.  

Gabriel ran the back of his hand against Jack’s cheek, but the omega shirked away from the touch, growling.

The older man held his ground. “The carnations at my grave. They were from you, weren’t they?”

“Of course they were.” Jack crossed his arms. “I kept hoping ‘Reaper’ wasn’t you, but I guess a part of me always knew, even though I didn’t want to.”

“So where do we go from here?”

“You could start by taking off the mask.” The light haired man instructed. “Before you object, Ana already told me that you look different. I don’t care. I didn’t come out of that burning building unscathed, and it’s the least you can do for me if we’re having this ‘conversation.’”

The mercenary shook his head. “It’s not a good idea.”

“I don’t care. I deserve to see my mate properly after all these years. You’ve seen mine, so show me yours. If you don’t, I’m out.”

Knowing when Jack was too stubborn to help them further along the conversation, Gabriel gave in. He pulled back his hood, suddenly feeling a rush of nervousness.

_Would Jack even find him attractive anymore?_

_Could he smell the decay in his scent?_

Gabriel hadn’t been self-conscious like this in a long time. It was finally showing its ugly head in the face of someone who mattered.

Gabriel waved a hand over his face, unlocking the mechanisms that kept the bone white mask firmly attached. Once released, he cradled it gently in his hands and looked up to his mate, allowing the nanites to shift and form without his willing them to stop.

The omega’s eyes only wavered a little while he looked at the face of his husband. The skin on Gabriel’s features was patchy and shifting from his healthy brown skin, to lighter skin that faded into a sickly pale of death. The nanites pushed to repair it, at some points stripping the skin to where bone and muscle were apparent.

It was horrific, but Jack didn’t turn away.

“The mask has magnetic impulses. It helps keep me together so that I don’t need to focus on looking…normal.” Gabriel showcased his meaning by concentrating on the nanites, allowing them to fix his face. The dark wisps of smoke energy that had surrounded his features dissipated.

“You’ve looked worse.” Jack replied quietly. He didn’t back down, just looked to Gabriel willfully.

The omega held up his ungloved hand and pressed it against the coolness of the alpha’s cheek. It warmed on contact, soaking in the other’s body heat.

Gabriel’s eyes were red.

“I thought about this for so many years. What I would say or do when I saw you again.” Jack explained, his deep voice low and dangerous. “And then I figured out where you had been this whole time. Who you had been. The man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with was shooting me in the back and working with the enemy.”

Jack pulled his hand away.

The mercenary missed the soft touch immediately.

“Why, Gabriel?” The younger man questioned. “Why _Talon_?”           

He felt that the smallest thing he could owe to Jack was an explanation. He reached out, allowing the gloves to dissipate while he touched Jack’s upper arm, grounding himself in the feel of him.

“After Zurich, I couldn’t control the nanites and the powers that came with it. Talon offered me a way out when I had no other options.” Gabriel couldn’t look his mate in the eyes. “It became too much. I tried to end it, but the rapid healing would only take effect immediately. So…I signed on with them, and they designed tech to help me control my powers and stop feeding off of the life energy of others.”

Jack remembered the old articles. He remembered the photographs of dried out cadavers with glassy eyed looks.

The ‘Reaper’ had been a name well-earned and feared.

The omega was soaking in the details, allowing the words to settle. Gabriel traced his hand up, running the back of his cool fingers along Jack’s jaw. “They’ve ordered me to kill you before, but I wouldn’t do it. I’ll protect you and our son as much as I can without blowing my cover.”

“So you’re a double-agent, then?” Jack iterated.

“I’m doing what I think is right.”

“Because that’s always worked in the past.” The omega pulled away. He ran a hand across his forehead while he tried to process all of the information, deciding what he should do with the information.

The alpha continued. “I would never do anything to endanger Ezra. I deleted the coordinates from our database. He’ll stay hidden.”

“I’m assuming you got his location when you killed Alessia Ros.”

“She didn’t give it willingly, if that’s any consolation.”

Jack shook his head, emotion welling in his chest. “She was one of the ones who saved me; _saved Ezra_. She kept us alive for months.” He turned to look at his estranged mate. “She deserved better, after everything she did for us.”

“I didn’t know. We were tracking her for supplying medical information and rare equipment to former Overwatch affiliates. She took a cyanide pill before we could take her in.”

Jack wiped at his eyes, tired and drawn into himself.

“Ezra needs to stay here. He needs a chance at a normal life, and this is the best option we have.” Jack changed the subject. He was firm in his resolve to keep his child’s interest at the forefront. “Ezra already knows you’re his father, but he can’t know you’re Reaper. It’ll cause too much suspicion from the staff and other students.”

“I would never risk it like that.”

Jack held up his hand. “Limit your contact with him. If Talon catches wind of Ezra’s existence, it’ll be game over. He’s inherited some of our enhancements. If Moira or any of the scientists get their hands on him, he’ll become a lab rat for them. When Angela and Alessia looked over my birth control device, they found it had been purposely tampered with. If that person finds Ezra, they’ll want to collect their ‘research.”

Gabriel understood the risks.

He didn’t take them lightly, even though he wanted to see his child as often as he could.

Jack was right. He hated it, but Jack was taking all the right measures to distance themselves so that Ezra could have a chance at normalcy.

“Ezra will stay safe, I’ll make sure of it.” Gabriel promised.

“That’s all I ask…” Jack replied. “He’s all we have left.”

Knowing they were still nowhere near square, Gabriel longed for the comfort of his mate. He had forgotten what it felt like to be touched by his partner, especially after 5 long years alone.

Jack didn’t pull away from the alpha when he made his intentions clear. His scent had changed to a more placated tone, giving Gabriel hope that his advances wouldn’t be refused.

“I left sunflowers at your parents farm every year for your birthday.” Gabriel confessed. “They always reminded me of you, and somehow I hoped I would find you back in Indiana.”

Jack watched where their hands met and fingers interlaced. He didn’t pull away when Gabriel pulled him in to press his nose against the scent glands at his neck where an old, scarred mating mark hid under his shirt.

“I haven’t been to the farm in two years.” Jack whispered back. “Not since my sister almost caught me in the field because the dogs wouldn’t stop barking.”

“Not the best homecoming.”

“Hnng.” Jack breathed in his mate’s changed scent. It was Gabriel, but the decay smelled of burnt metals where the nanites regenerated, multiplied, and wisped away into smoke. Still, the alpha was there.

Despite everything going on in the world and the fact that they were on separate sides, Jack traced his hand up Gabriel’s back, holding him close.

They were both weak for each other.

Without the world watching them or the lines clearly drawn for what was acceptable in their situation, they took what comfort they could in one another.

For the first time in years, Gabriel felt the sting of hot, fresh tear cloud his eyes.

*

*

*

Less than a few hours after meeting with Gabriel outside of Ezra’s school, Jack felt the beginning symptoms of a heat.

He should’ve guessed as much after being so close to his mate and scenting him after years of silence.

When it came to his heat, his hormones mostly afforded him something small and menial when it came to the intensity. He figured it paired well with his grief, poor diet, and alcohol consumption that his normal hormonal necessities would keep themselves scarce.

Ana had even joked from time to time that he was going through menopause, or at least driving him there with his poor self-care.

However, he had spent some of the evening with Gabriel, huddled close to him in the darkness. They had become reacquainted with each other’s scent, but nothing further.

Jack’s body was slowly betraying the resolve to keep things simple between him and his mate.

Knowing he wouldn’t last the ride home and not wanting to disturb the other residents of the base with what he knew was going to be an intense heat, he scrambled to find a safehouse close by.

The best he could do was grab the emergency kit, some MREs, and a case of waters from the storage unit in the transport and take them with him to a nondescript apartment Angela used in east Dublin.

He sent a message to Ana, letting her know he was using Angela’s old lodgings to wait out a heat.

Jack was barely off the transport when he lost his footing and stumbled to the ground, sweat dripping down his temples.

 _Of course this is my luck_. He thought bitterly.

It was the early hours of the morning. Most people were getting ready for school and work on a Monday while Jack entered into the safe house and locked himself inside, feeling jittery and uncomfortable in his clothing.

He set his supplies on the kitchen table and looked around the small space.

There was a decent kitchenette, a couch and TV, a bathroom, and one room in the back with a bed and dresser. It was one of the nicer spots Jack had stayed in, but that was also testament to Angela, who liked to keep her spaces neat and functional with just a small touch of home.

He took note of the stacked washer and dryer in the corner of the living room to use later on. He knew that by the end of his heat, he would need to deep clean his scent from the space to keep it neutral and ready for whoever needed it next.

He grabbed the emergency kit and water before making his way to the bedroom.

Jack hadn’t done this in years, but the steps came clinically to him. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and compression shirt first, throwing the rest of his clothing and shoes on a chair next to the dresser. He then opened the kit and spotted the suppressants.

They wouldn’t completely do away with his heat, but they would ease it mildly and keep his scent from becoming overpowering.

Having contact with Gabriel and scenting one anther must’ve overwhelmed his need to bond and rekindle their connection to the point of inducing a heat.

He wondered if somewhere Gabriel was going into rut.

The old commander injected the first shot into the meat of his upper leg and rubbed the skin around the injection site, hoping to get the suppressant working quickly. He had three more in the emergency pack that he would ration out when the heat became too unbearable.

The omega was used to shouldering the discomfort.

After waiting a few minutes he then started a hot shower in the small stall of the bathroom. The water was a relief for his aching skin, especially his abdomen which felt hot and cramped with the impending release of slick and pheromones. The omega massaged at his stomach and abdomen, sighing with some contentment when the suppressant began to kick in.

Shower completed, he changed back into his boxer briefs and laid out on the couch, wrapping a blanket around him as he turned on the holo-TV. He downed a whole bottle of water and rested back against the coach to allow the exhaustion to take over.

He hadn’t slept in over 28 hours.

With the help of the suppressants, Jack found it easier to close his eyes and drift.

*

He woke up three hours later to the feel of his dick lying hard against his stomach, desperate and ready for attention from a fevered dream he was having about his mate eating him out. The omega groaned in frustration while he woke up, annoyed with his body’s need after so long of having a reprieve from it.

Sex and self-care were terms Jack had barely used in his vocabulary after Ezra was born. He felt he was too old and set in his ways to explore anything sexual with another person, and Gabriel had always been it for him. Now that he and Gabriel had an encounter that didn’t involve hurting each other, his body seemed confused with the memo.

Eyes still closed, he trailed his hand down over his nipples, feeling the hard nubs and sighing while he thought up a fantasy he could go along with to get him off quickly. He was comfortable in his blanket cocoon on the couch and the hum of the Holo-tv in the background, but his bodily needs would soon outweigh the domestic coziness he was currently basking in.

With enough frustration he untangled himself from the blanket and sauntered back to the bedroom. He tried to ignore the trickle of slick that made itself known, reminding him that he would need a knot to satisfy that certain requirement.

There was a dildo with an expandable knot at the very bottom of the emergency kit, still sealed up in a medical container since it was a one-user use only. Jack pulled it out and ripped open the top to inspect the device with a frown.

The dildo was covered in pale blue medical grade silicon that had a button on the bottom to help the device bulk up into a knot at the end. The outer coat was layered in synthetic alpha pheromones to try and replicate something close to the real thing and to satisfy his need for pheromones. They didn’t smell as good as his mate, but it would have to do.

Jack threw the container back on the bed and left the accompanying lubricant on the dresser.

He definitely wouldn’t need the fake slick.

The omega pulled back the covers on the bed and wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling too hot and too cold in the same moment. He drank some more water before taking off his underwear to lie on the cool, fresh cotton sheets.

The rest came naturally to him.

He thought of Gabriel when he slowly began to touch himself.

Years before things began to get complicated with work; they had taken an impromptu trip down to Greece for Gabriel’s 40th birthday. Jack stole his husband from work for the surprise vacation and cancelled all of their meetings for the next 6 days, allowing them plenty of time to soak up the sun and lay on the water’s edge.

Jack liked envisioning Gabriel in his speedo. All hard, sun-kissed skin on display while he swam through the bright blue waters and enjoyed the time off without the constraints of work. It was one of the better trips they took together, just to get away and be close to one another.

The sex on the trip had also been amazing.

Without the stress of work weighing them down, they had enjoyed enough rigorous lovemaking and time lazily enjoying each other’s company that they both came back with a certain glow to their demeanors.

The omega went back and forth in his memories. He remembered the heat of the moment escapades in the bedroom, as well as the quieter moments of scenting one another and cuddling on the bed with nowhere to go while they listened to the waves and wind outside.

Jack inserted the fake alpha cock and sighed, imagining it was his partner easing into him and tweaking his nipples. He kept his eyes closed, feeding into his imagination and the idea of Gabriel above him, whispering sweet, intimate praises to him while he rocked inside him.

He picked up pace with the dildo as the feeling became more intense the more he fell into his memories.

Once he wrapped his hand around his dick, it didn’t take long for his first orgasm to hit him. He groaned, spilling against his fist while his body shuddered with the quick release. He wiped his hand along a towel and quickly pressed the button to knot himself on the toy.

The device wasn’t as big as his mate, but it would give him some respite to allow him to sleep more without the burning need to fill himself up with something hard and tangible.  

He was still exhausted.

With the knot expanded, Jack laid his head back on the pillow and rolled to his side, hugging one of the other pillows close to his body and wished he had Gabriel’s sweatshirt with him.

He hoped with the first pre-emptive wave complete, he could get some rest.

*

*

When Jack awoke, he wasn’t alone.

He could feel the dip of the bed and a warm hand on his back, rubbing back and forth in soothing circles.

The cloying scent of his alpha in the air was enough to tell him that his mate had found him. He could also sense the slight acrid tinge of rut that was coursing its way through Gabriel’s system. He was sure his scent, though undetectable to anyone passing by, had marked him like a beacon on the map for his mate.

“I should’ve figured you’d find me.” Jack grumbled. His stomach was aching and abdomen was sore, but his mate’s presence had him wired to relax with the good endorphins of exchanging scent.

“You didn’t go far.” Gabriel pointed out. “How long have you been in heat? Were you hiding this last night?”

Jack turned to look back at his mate and noticed the man was still clothed, whereas Jack was stark naked with a toy knot up his ass.

“This morning.” He replied.

Gabriel ran the back of his knuckles across the omega’s bare back. “Can I touch you?”

Jack avoided the question with slight annoyance. “How long have you been here?” The younger man shifted, laying back on the mattress with his legs up to accommodate the plug. He reached between his legs and clinically turned the knot off, sliding it out of his heat soaked entrance. Gabriel watched with interest.

“Just an hour.” The alpha explained, eyes dilated on the slick coated entrance beneath Jack’s testicles. He bit at his lip.. “I haven’t been in a rut for years. I sensed your heat and found you here. It seems our bond is rekindling despite-“ He waved his hand, allowing it to wisp into smoke and reformulate. “-whatever it is we’re doing.”

The omega eyed him critically. “Can you even get it up?”

“I’m sure it’ll work fine, if you want help with your heat.”

Jack hesitated, but he searched his mind and found that even in his right senses, he wanted this. He could go through the heat without a mate and suffer through it with a toy, or get it over with quickly with his partner.

They were both still figuring out what their relationship was, but Jack didn’t see the harm in having sex with his husband. He wanted it, even if he was still skeptical of some of Gabriel’s motives.

“I do.”

Gabriel ran his fingers along the pink outlines of the stretch marks on Jack’s abdomen. He looked to the omega’s blue eyes, finding the consent there when the younger man nodded, letting his mate lean down and kiss along his abs.

Jack sighed and melted into the mattress while those kisses went south, mouthing at his interested cock before Gabriel began to kiss the head of his erection, slipping it into his mouth.

“You don’t have to control your features. I’m not afraid of what you look like.” Jack reminded his lover. He could tell it took effort for Gabriel to keep his powers contained, and the omega wanted his mate to experience what he was without guarding his looks.

Jack knew that if they were going to re-establish trust, they would have to get used to how they looked.

“You sure? Didn’t know you had a thing for monsters.”

“Just so long as your dick stays solid.” Jack huffed. “C’mon, you’re making me hot-“

Gabriel laughed, “Calm down, Jackie. I got you.”

The more skin-to-skin contact they had, the more their bond hummed between them. Jack felt hot under his skin while he bucked his hips up into Gabriel’s welcoming mouth. The alpha swallowed him whole, his old gag reflex apparently gone while he coaxed Jack further, teasing him with a finger at his slick entrance.

The old strike commander knew that hooking up with his mercenary husband probably wasn’t the best idea he’s had, but he had been alone for so long and Gabriel had always been his weakness.

He wanted this, wanted _Gabriel_ so bad it hurt to think of how long they’d been apart.

He didn’t think of all the negative impacts getting close to him like this could entail.

When Gabriel finally stopped teasing him and took off his clothes, the omega wasn’t sure where to look first. The alpha’s body was heavily scarred from both old injuries and newer ones. Jack wondered where Gabriel had acquired them as he ran his hands shakily down his mate’s strong torso, admiring the strength beneath his fingers. He leaned up and licked along the older man’s abs, trailing up to suck on a nipple that had the alpha groaning in pleasure.

The alpha still looked much the same as he had, but Jack began to notice the peppering of gray hair on his head, showing his age. The nanites still traveled along his body in patches, sometimes showing bone, muscle, and organs underneath for a few seconds before patching up completely.

Jack didn’t pay it much attention. He focused on Gabriel’s face and the eyes that looked to him longingly, searching for acceptance.

The omega helped unbutton his husband’s pants and was surprised to find he wasn’t wearing underwear. Gabriel shimmied out of his trousers and threw them back, raising a brow. “See? Told you it still worked.”

His erect dick was thick and dripping pre-cum from the head. The eventual knot was forming at the base, tender and ready to fill his mate fully.

Jack licked his lips. “It better not disappear while it’s inside of me or we’re going to have a problem.”

“Maybe I’ll focus and make it _bigger_ just for saying that.” The alpha laughed and pushed his husband back down on the mattress. He kissed up and down his neck, sucking hickies into his skin while Jack wrapped his hands around his lover’s dick, stroking it appreciatively.

“That doesn’t sound like a punishment.” He keened high in his throat when the alpha nipped at his mating mark, situated above one of his scenting glands.

“C’mon, fuck me already. Breed me, Gabe.” Jack urged him on, pulling the alpha close. He felt Gabriel line himself up experimentally, rubbing the thick head of his cock along the slick seam of Jack’s ass. His head caught along Jack’s hole a few times.

When the omega groaned, Gabriel chuckled lightly.

He loved toying with his mate and leaving Jack desperate for it.

After all these years, he still remembered his sweet spots.

Finally, they both succumbed to the need their instincts had drawn them to.

Gabriel slowly slipped inside, suddenly overwhelmed with the surrounding of his mate. Jack welcomed the push with a groan as he wrapped his legs around his mate’s hips, keeping him close until he bottomed out. The knot at the base of his dick teased at the omega’s entrance, not quite ready to slip inside with the rest of the girth.

Jack was panting with oversensitivity.

“Still feel amazing.” Gabriel purred, settling on a slow rhythm at first to re-establish their bond and the stretch Jack certainly felt from being so full after years of nothing.

The toy had quelled some of the ache, but Gabriel’s cock satisfied it tenfold. Jack had almost forgotten how good it felt to be taken care of like this.

The omega could see the black wisps of smoke rising from Gabriel’s back and dissipating as it reached the ceiling. He moaned unabashedly, pleading for his mate to go harder, to fuck him senseless.

Their reunion was bittersweet in many ways, but they were both grateful that their bodies still knew how to pleasure one another while they got high off each other’s scent.

When Jack came, he wasn’t given a reprieve after his orgasm. Gabriel didn’t relent, still pressing inside and rubbing against the omega’s prostate, wringing out more pleasure until Jack couldn’t string together two words or thoughts together to even try and make sense.

He accepted each ebb and flow of their lovemaking; cried out in the quiet space just as much as Gabriel vocalized his pleasure until he came hard, knotting them together.

It would be the first round of many, but Jack felt the immediate ease and melted into a soundless headspace.

Gabriel licked and kissed at his neck, eventually biting down hard when another orgasm rolled through his body, as smooth and thick as molasses. The omega gasped, craning his neck further for it.

When Gabriel let go and licked at the wound, Jack made sure to get back at him, turning Gabriel’s head to that he could bite him roughly over his mating mark.

Both reminding each other who they were.

Reconnected, rejoined.

*

*

Hours later, Jack lay out on his side, staring at the white walls with the abstract nature art, unsure of what to say between them. They couldn’t be a proper family now, but eventually…down the line in another setting and in a less hostile world, they could be more than just two old mercenaries trying to keep the world together for their son.

“You should probably get going before Talon starts looking for you.” Jack sighed between them. He ran his hand across his forehead, wiping off the sweat still trickling down from his temples.

Gabriel seemed less inclined to move. He was still on his side, wrapped around his mate, inside him where his knot hadn’t come down yet.

“They won’t care if I’m gone another day.”  The older man muttered. “We deserve this.”

“Maybe I do, but you haven’t had the best track record.”

Gabriel snorted. “What gave me away?”

“The skull mask. The boots. _Everything_.” The omega couldn’t keep down the smile that traced his lips at the outfit his mate had chosen. “I know a signature Reyes look when I see it.”

“I could design you a new get-up, if you’d like.”

“My jacket works fine.”

“It’s too bright and patriotic.” Gabriel kissed his way up the expanse of his husband’s neck, nipping lightly at the corner of his jaw. Jack groaned, giving him more access while a hand interlaced with his. He wasn’t hard; still too-sated and body tired to go another round. But this, the close intimacy of being together in whatever way they could would have to be enough.

“Who knew we’d still be at it this far down the line.” The alpha murmured. “You know how much I’ve missed this with you.”

Jack traced his fingers along his bitten neck. “Are they going to question your freshly fucked scent when you wander back to them?”

“What I do with you outside of missions is none of their business.” Gabriel reassured. “We generally keep topics of relationships under wraps.”

“But I’m your enemy and now we smell alike again. Don’t you think they’ll be suspicious?”

Gabriel sighed and pulled Jack closer. “They wouldn’t be surprised if they found out we were having sex again. It’s only ever been you that I’ve wanted, Jack. You know that.”

When Jack didn’t answer, Gabriel kissed the corner of his mouth sweetly. “I love you, Jackie. Shits going to get worse before it gets better, but you’re my mate and I’ll keep you and our son safe. I’ll always honor that first.”

“I want to trust you, but your actions-“

“Have I done anything to hurt Ezra?”

Jack sighed. “No.”

“We’ll keep him safe until the time is right for us to be a family again.” Gabriel stated with some finality to it.

The omega knew it was easier said than done. It could take possibly years to find a stable enough space for them to meet at the same crossing lines and make peace with the world and each other. Until then, they had their allegiances to keep in mind.

Gabriel wasn’t sharing all of his information on Talon, just as Jack wasn’t ready to divulge what the newly recalled Overwatch agents were up to.

Somehow they still trusted each other that eventually things would be made right again.

Life had taken them this far, and trust was all they had.

Lying curled around one another, their mutual body heat soothing the ache that separation had cultivated in them for so long, Jack began to allow himself to believe that one day, things would be okay again.

Not now, and not in the near future, but someday.

They had each other, to the best extent life offered to them, and despite all of the odds, they had a son.

After all, they had both survived death and come back from the ashes stronger than before.

*

*

*

*

*

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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> [By Ohappyfair](https://twitter.com/ohappyfair/status/1019608949304291328)  
> [By MissMidnaKillsya](https://missmidnakillsya.deviantart.com/art/Ezrael-Anomaly-fic-728296802)  
> 


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